Feels Like Forever
by Nymphean
Summary: Where can Percy turn when Penelope dumps him? Will he find what he needs in the arms of a friend? Features a confused Percy, a sad Penelope, a friendly yet pensive Oliver and a scheming Fred and George. SLASH, O/P. *NOW COMPLETE!!!*
1. Through Penelope's Eyes

Feels Like Forever 

**Author**: Nymphean

**Pairing**: Percy Weasley/ Oliver Wood (eventually)

**Warnings**: Hi, did you read the pairing? This is slash. Plain and simple. It's not porn. It's not smut. It's actually meaningful. Yes, I know that may come as a shock to some of you, but I don't intend to turn this into a PWP. No slash in the first chapter, minimal in the second. By the third, things should heat up. But nothing above an R rating, so all those looking for NC-17, the door is that-a way. Spoilers only for the first and second books, I believe, since this takes place during the third, Percy, Oliver and Penny's last year, Harry and co.'s third. 

**Notes: **As mentioned, this is slash. I am not a gay man. I am not a man at all. I am not confused about my sexuality. I just like writing about people who are. Interesting fodder, you know? If you have a problem with that, please don't waste my time by writing stupid, insulting reviews containing phrases like "U R Gay" and "slash is 4 retards". If you can't write using actual words instead of letters and numbers, you're not worth my time. You've been adequately warned. However, if you have a problem with the characters, plot, etc. or my writing in general, by all means, flame away. If you like the story, please tell me. You'll be added to my people of the year list, and since the year's barely just started…

I like song quotes. I'll be using them frequently. Chances are, if I didn't say who wrote the song, it's one of mine. 

The title is a reference to the song "My Sacrifice" by Creed, which I happen to like very much. Please don't judge me by my taste in music, I'm aware…

Oh, and I'm not usually this mean… I'm just in a particularly sardonic mood right now. Luv ya all!

**Dedications**: To Meg Albatou, my favorite sounding board for all things fic-ish. To Mereschino, who is going to kill me, but what the hell. And to Sarah… HAH!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything you recognize, including the song quote. 

**Read and review! Love ya all! Have fun!**

_"… I was believing in you…_

_Was I mistaken? Do you mean,_

_Do you mean what you say?_

_I want our love to last forever…_

_But I'd rather you be mean than love and lie_

_I'd rather hear the truth and have to say good-bye_

_I'd rather take a blow, at least then I would know_

_But baby, don't you break my heart slow…" _

_ -Vonda Shepard_

Chapter 1: Through Penelope's Eyes

The tall willow shades us from the early summer sun as we lounge beneath its branches. We sit there, he and I, leaning against each other at the base of the great tree and welcoming the cool breezes that caress our sun-dappled skin. I close my eyes and shift my position, laying my head in his lap. He strokes my hair with calm fingers, and I'm struck by the tenderness of it, the sensitivity of the act. It's soothing and strangely exciting at the same time. I look up into his eyes, which look darker and more thoughtful today than usual, and a thought pops into my head out of nowhere.

"Percy, do you believe in fate?"

Nothing, for a moment, and then he tilts his head ever so slightly and says, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know," I sigh, a little bit frustrated that he hasn't understood me. "Like, is there one right person for everyone, one set purpose, one… _thing_ in life that everyone's put here to do? You know, like destiny or something?"

He wrinkles his nose. "I don't know. I suppose I never though about it before."

"I think I think about it way too much," I say, staring up through the branches of the willow. Percy doesn't respond, so I'm forced to incite more conversation. "Like, say your purpose is to save someone from drowning or something, because if you don't save that person from drowning, then they can't fulfill THEIR purpose, which might have something to do with someone else's purpose, with might have something to do with…"

"Penny," He says quietly, putting his hand over my mouth. "You're making very little sense, you know."

"But think about it, Perce!" I'm starting to get rather adamant. "If your destiny is directly linked with someone else's, and you don't fulfill your destiny, then what happens to the other person? And the people who are connected with THEIR destiny? What if, because you decide to… stay at home on the weekend instead of going out, you never meet the person you're meant to be with and thus bring about the end of the world in some bizarre way? It's frightening!"

"Which is precisely why I don't believe in fate," Percy says, shaking his head. There's a sense of finality in his voice as he says it, and I know we're finished with this discussion. That's one thing about Percy that I absolutely can't stand. He can be so stubborn sometimes. But then, if he didn't have his little—okay, big—quirks, he wouldn't really be Percy, now would he?

Sitting in silence is nice at first. Then it's awkward. And now it's getting slightly unnerving. I have to say SOMETHING, so…

"Percy, do you love me?"

He rolls his eyes. "Of course I do. You're my girlfriend. My steady girlfriend. Would I be here if I didn't like you?"

"I didn't ask you if you LIKED me, Percy… I asked you if you loved me." I have this nagging feeling that I should just let it go, and part of me knows I'll be happier if I do, but I just can't help myself. "You didn't really answer properly."

Percy sighs. "Well I do love you, in my own way. But I think yours and my definitions of 'Love' differ slightly."

"Do you really think so?"

"How could they not?"

I ponder this for a while. "Well, my definition of 'Love' is…" I pause. I've never really tried to define love before. "Well, I suppose love is sort of like an enchantment. You can't control it, really, because it controls you. It's beautiful and sweet and at the same time it's daring. Love's not a matter of pride. Pride disappears when love's around. It's madness, yet at the same time it seems perfectly sane. I thoroughly believe that if two people love each other enough, they can overcome any obstacle. It's knowing that, no matter what happens, everything will be all right as long as you're near the one you love." I look up at Percy. "Well, sort of."

He's silent for a very long time. I _knew _this was a bad idea. "Well see, there you go," he says finally. 

"What?" I ask, not quite understanding.

"Our definitions are certainly quite different."

I twine my fingers around his. "How so?"

Percy straightens his back and puts his glasses on, as if preparing to make a rebuttal in a debate. "Your 'Love' is a slightly more romantic version of mine. You said love is beautiful and sweet and perfect, no?" I nod slowly. "Well no offense Penny, but I find that rather ridiculous. I mean, think about it. How can anything be like what you're talking about? People aren't meant to act like idiots over things like that. And as for saying that everything will instantly be okay whenever the so-called 'love of your life' is around, well that's absurd! Love doesn't fix problems, Penny. You know what does? Work. Hard work and diligence. You can't overcome obstacles with LOVE. It's preposterous, it's… silly!" He sighs and relaxes. "Well, that's my point of view anyway." 

I'm feeling slightly ill. I sit upright and look him in the eyes. "And you love me… in your own way?"

"Yes."

I'm aware now that I'm frowning openly. "And how is that?"

He seems to be considering this very carefully. At least he's trying, I tell myself. "My idea of love doesn't involve any of that flowery emotional garble. I suppose… love is having someone who knows what you like, and knowing what they like in return. Love is being… comfortable with a person. Love is… well, I suppose it's companionship. Oh, _don't_ look like_ that_, it's really quite practical when you think about it!"

"So, I'm your comfortable companion, then?" I feel like crying, but I have to wonder if that would be too flowery and emotional for Percy to handle. 

"Well yes, in a way."

I chew on my bottom lip and try to shake off that horrible heavy feeling in my chest. "Oh Percy… I don't think this is going to work out…"

He looks vaguely shocked. "What are you talking about?"

I look at him, trying to ignore the stinging behind my eyes. "I can't be in a relationship with someone who doesn't believe in love. And you don't believe in love, Percy."

He looks slightly wounded. "Not the same kind as you, maybe, but you can't say things like that, Penelope! That's the same as saying you could never date a Buddhist because you're Christian!"

"No it's not," I whisper, desperately grasping for those last few strands of control. "Love is universal."

Percy's look becomes one of concern. "Penny, are you all right? You look as if you're about to cry!" I just look at him and shake my head. "Oh," says Percy, finally seeming to get it. "You're being serious about this, aren't you?"

I nod my head and smile sadly. "Percy, you're my best friend in the whole world, and I think if we'd kept this up any longer, I might have ended up falling in love with you. And as much as I want that, I just… I can't love someone who I know can never love me, not in the way I need to be loved. I'm sorry, Percy."

For once in his life, Percy seems to be unable to think of an appropriate answer. "But… but…" He stammers. I place my hand over his mouth. 

"Shh. You know I'm right. There IS a part of you that still believes in true love, I know there is. But it's clear now that I don't bring that out in you. So go, Percy, and maybe someday you'll thank me for setting you free." He is still staring at me with a mixture of hurt and confusion. I don't think I can take this much longer. "GO, Percy," I say a little more forcefully. "Go, before I change my mind."

Percy sighs heavily and stands up. He pauses for a moment, then bends down and kisses the top of my head. "I'm sorry I couldn't be what you needed me to," he whispers in my ear before straightening up and composing himself. "Goodbye, Penelope."

As he turns around and begins to walk away, I allow the tears to come. "Goodbye, Percy," I whisper to no one.


	2. Through Oliver's Eyes

A/N: I just realized that it can't be early summer because this takes place before the Quidditch Finals in book three. So it's now early spring. I'm too lazy to edit that one little thing, so I hope everyone reads this note. 

I don't own the characters. I didn't write 'War and Peace', as you all know, and I don't really think it's rubbish, that was just for the sake of the story. Also, I know I've got Oliver's character all wrong, but I couldn't help it. When stories are written by and emotional sap, they tend to become emotional and sappy. 

I just wanted to say that I especially like the part when Percy snaps… heh heh.  
And I just LOVE Fred and George, even though I'm aware I wrote them kinda weird. They're such mischievous little imps…

Well, have fun! Luv ya all, -Nymphean

Chapter 2: Through Oliver's Eyes

_"Hello my friend, we meet again_

_It's been awhile, where should we begin?_

_Feels like forever…_

_…We've seen our share of ups and downs_

_Oh how quickly life can turn around_

_In an instant_

It feels so good to realize 

_What's in yourself and within your mind,_

Let's find peace there…" 

_-Creed, "My Sacrifice__"_

I could tell something was up the minute Percy stormed into our dorm room. His usually thoughtful expression was clouded with anger and confusion, and hell, he slammed the door. He never slams the door. 

"What's going on, Perce?" I ask warily, not sure what to expect. 

No answer.

Well, I actually _should_ have expected that one.

I try again. "Hey, Percy, what's up with you?" 

Nothing.

"Perce?"

Zip.

"Hell-oo?"

Nada.

"What's you're issue today?"

Zilch.

"Fine. I can see you want to be left alone, so you know what? I'm going to leave you alone." I turn around to go and sit on my bed.

"She dumped me." 

I do a 180 and stare at him. "WHAT did you say?"  
Percy actually looks sort of depressed. "Penelope. She dumped me."

I'm sure my jaw is down around my feet by now. "When?"

"Just now."

"Oh wow, that's new," I say, trying really hard to process this information. 

"Yep," says Percy in a detached sort of way. 

"Man… I'm sorry." I wish I could say that I really was, but the truth is, I'm not. What I want to do most right now is tell Percy exactly what I always thought of Penelope Clearwater, that self-righteous, closed-minded little… but no, that's not what Percy needs to hear right now, so all I say is, "Why?"

Percy snorts. "She said it's because I don't believe in love or some rubbish like that. I mean, honestly, can you believe that? What IS that?"

I shrug. "I've never understood women. Men are so much less complicated."

"Says the girl-magnet. We should all have it so easy," Percy mutters darkly. I narrow my eyes.

"Excuse me? What does THAT mean?"

"It's all easy for you to say 'smile and forget about it, plenty of other fish in the sea' et cetera, Et cetera, but some of us don't have women falling into our laps out of the sky, Oliver. I don't get to pick and choose like you do. I had one chance with one girl who was dumb enough to fall for someone like me, and I blew it! I failed, Oliver… **_I_**failed!"

I can't seem to get my mind around one part of that little rant. "Someone like you?"

"Yes," Percy says angrily. "A nerd. A brainiac. A scrawny little brown-noser with no life. You've heard them all before, Oliver. Don't pretend you haven't."

Now I get it. Poor Percy… "Not everyone thinks that of you, you know." 

"Name three people who don't and I'll give you a medal."

"Penelope, Hermione Granger and Me," I answer immediately. "You want more?"

"Oliver, don't ridiculous," Percy scoffs. "Penelope just dumped me, Hermione's just a kid, and you… well, you're just being nice."

I roll my eyes. "Why are you so down on yourself all the time, Perce? Penelope may not have been my favorite person in the world, but I'm not blind, and I know that she thought you were the best thing since sliced bread. I'm sure her reasons didn't include not liking you. Hermione may be a kid, but she's really smart, and you can see that she admires your diligence, even if she goes along with your brother's teasing sometimes. And as for me…" I pause. "I'm not just being nice, Perce. I mean it."

"Fine," Percy says, defeated. A tiny grin creeps onto my face.

"Now where's my medal?"

*****

"Hey Perce! 'zit true that Penelope dumped you?"

Percy doesn't even bother to look up from the pages of his book (a muggle classic, 'War and Peace' or some rubbish). He merely flinches irritably and mutters "Sod off, Fred."

Fred leans over the back of his older brother's chair. George moves to the front. "Aw, c'mon Perce!" George says pleadingly. "We want to know what the Bighead Boy did to piss off First Lady Penelope!" Fred nods enthusiastically.  
Percy is looking rather tense by this point. I rest the Quidditch plans I was drawing up on the arm of my chair, ready to restrain either the twins or their brother if things get ugly. I'll admit, I have a morbid fascination with watching Percy and wondering when he's going to snap. 

"I said, 'sod off, Fred'. That goes for you too," he says through clenched teeth, gesturing to George but still not looking up from his book. The twins are completely unfazed and also utterly clueless, unable to see that now is clearly NOT the time for their mostly good-natured teasing. 

"What was it, Percy? Nerves?"

"Trouble performing?"

"I'll bet that's it… good thinking George! You know, Perce, they have things to help with-"

"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!" Percy has suddenly jumped to his feet with such force that the armchair topples over. 'War and Peace' flies across the common room (empty, except for the four of us), narrowly missing its target (George's head). I rise and carefully walk over to Percy, attempting to put an hand on his shoulder and calm him down, but he slaps my hand away. "You two are so FUCKING childish!" He yells, glaring at each of his brothers in turn. "You're NOT clever and you're NOT funny, you're just SAD. Period. So why don't you just FUCK OFF? Get out of my face, and get out of my life!" 

Percy storms from the room, and I have enough sense to not follow him. I know if I do he'll only yell at me instead of his brothers, and then he'll feel bad about it later. A guilty Percy is not the most fun person to be around. I'm just helping to reduce the guilt. Fred and George look crest-fallen. Percy doesn't know it, but they really DO look up to him, and to hear his opinion of them so blankly stated is somewhat of a huge blow to their egos. It's just their nature to tease and poke fun at people, and Percy really IS and easy target. The problem is, he doesn't see them making fun of everyone else, because whenever he's around it's him getting made fun of. But he's not solitary, oh no. The twins even make fun of me. 

Well they did. 

Once. 

And then they found out what a bad idea THAT was. 

"What did we DO?" George asks me as he puts the armchair right again. 

"George, you know what you did." I cross my arms and assume my best 'stern bossy team captain' face. "That really wasn't the greatest idea, you know." 

Fred scrunches up his nose in distaste. "I didn't think he'd take it so SERIOUSLY, though! I mean, we're ALWAYS teasing him!" 

"And he always takes it seriously, too." The twins look as if they've never even considered this, and I roll my eyes. "C'mon… don't you two even know your own brother?"

Fred picks up 'War and Peace' and hands it to me. "How are we supposed to know how he feels if he never wants to talk to us? All he ever does is treat us like we're his inferiors!"

"Yeah, it's bloody irritating, too!" George adds, eyeing the large muggle novel and imagining, I'm sure, the damage it could have done to him if Percy had better aim. I decide to lose the bad cop routine, and I smile sympathetically at the twins. 

"I know Percy can be a little anal sometimes, but I'm pretty sure there's more to him than meets the eyes."

George makes a noise that's somewhere between a laugh and a snort. "A LITTLE anal? Try a lot."  
"_Excessively," _elaborates Fred. I roll my eyes. I can't help but find this amusing. 

"All right, all right… But just try to lighten up on him, okay? He's really torn up right now, and I think we could all stand to treat him a little better, eh?"

The twins are silent for a moment, and then an identical grin creeps onto both of their faces. Not just any grin… THE grin. I don't care who you are, as soon as you see Fred and George Weasley giving you that grin, you know you've got a problem. 

"Well look at you!" Fred says with awe-filled amusement. "Oi, George are you thinking what I'm…"

"Definitely." George cocks his head and seems to be examining my face very carefully. I'm not really thinking this is a good sign.

"I can't believe we never…" Fred breaks of and shakes his head

"Bloody brilliant!" George yells. "Oliver, you've done it this time!"

The wary feeling in the pit of my stomach has long since changed to dread. "What have I done, exactly?" I ask, ready for the worst.

"You, oh-great-and-fearless-leader, may very well be the solution to our little problem," Fred states matter-of-factly. 

"What problem?" I'm pretty sure that I've gone completely white. 

"You're going to fix Percy for us!" George says happily. I chuckle with amusement.

"'Fix Percy'?" I reply, glad that at the very least the twins plan doesn't involve explosions. "And how do you suggest I do that?"

Fred and George's faces fall simultaneously. "He doesn't know," Fred says to his brother. George nods.

"Poor thing, hasn't figured it out yet!"

I fix them both with a rather evil glare. "What haven't I figured out?"

"You'd better sit down," says Fred, with the air of a very serious doctor about to deliver some bad news. I humor him and seat myself in Percy's unfortunate armchair. 

"Oliver, I'm afraid we have something very serious to tell you," George begins. 

"Yes," says Fred, kneeling at my feet. "It may come as a shock to you, but it's something you need to hear."

I cross my arms. "Get on with it, will you? I'd really like to finish these plans before tonight!"

George nods sympathetically. "All right."

"Oliver," says Fred, "We have reason to believe that you have homosexual tendencies towards are older brother, Percival Adonais Weasley."

I stare at them in silence for a few seconds, trying to figure out when, exactly, they became possessed and decided they had a death wish. There are probably only two people in the school who are mad enough to call Oliver Wood gay, and there are probably only two people in the school who can get away with it. I think to myself that it's the twin's lucky day. Someone, somewhere, must be looking out for them.

No one has ever been crazy enough before now to suggest that perhaps my friendly rapport with Percy and other men is based on stronger emotions than mere companionship. It is, of course, but very few people have been able to figure it out, and even if they have stumbled upon my sexual identity, they've all been smart enough to keep quiet. The Twins, however, are not as smart as most people when it comes to things like tact. They tell it like it is. 'Oliver, you're gay'. Well all right. I knew that, but thanks anyway for pointing it out. Oh? What's that? I like your brother? Well sure, if you say so. Your call.

I figure they're expecting me to freak out at them, vehemently deny their claim, try to kill them. So I do the exact opposite; I smile and nod.

"Okay."

Fred and George look at me like I've just grown an extra pair of ears. "OKAY?!" they both say in unison. I shrug.

"Why not?"

George's mouth is hanging open slightly, and Fred keeps blinking at me as if he's never seen me before. "Um, Ol… you DO know what we just said, right?" 

I nod again, still smiling sweetly. "Mm Hm. Do you?"

I don't think George could be more shocked if Snape announced he was retiring so that he and Trelawny could move to America and start a petting zoo. He gapes at me. "So… you're not going to flip out or anything?"

"Yeah… you're sure you don't want to kill us or something, Oliver?"

I give them my best 'don't-be-ridiculous' look. "And lose both my beaters right before the Quidditch finals? I don't think so." I wouldn't have thought it possible, but I'm actually enjoying this. Part of me wishes I could come out to the Twins everyday. It's frighteningly good fun.

"So, um… you knew you were…"

I'm really trying to hold back the laughter, aware that I'm fighting a losing battle. "Of course I knew, Fred! What, did you think you'd know and I wouldn't?"

"But, aren't you supposed to be, you know, all tortured about it or something?"

My last piece of resolve is shattered. I start to laugh manically. Fred and George are still staring as if I've grown extra limbs. When I finally get myself under control, I wipe my eyes and reply, "Don't be ridiculous." I shake my head. "Why should I be all tortured? I'm perfectly happy with how I am. The only reason I don't tell people is because I think they'd take me less seriously as captain. The other teams, I mean, not you guys. But I really don't have a problem with it. My family knows, and they don't care either. And now you guys. Now, as for Percy… that's a different matter all together."

Fred furrows his brow. "How so?"

I look from one twin to the other. So hopeful… so sure, no doubt, that I'll solve all of their problems with Perfect Percy by occupying him with other activities…

"I'm not going to deny that I find your brother… interesting."

George rolls his eyes. "C'mon Oliver… give us a little more credit than that!"

"All right… I DO like him…"

"Hm? I didn't hear you," Fred prompts.

"Okay, I like him a lot!" suddenly I'm feeling slightly more exposed. Oh gods… that grin again… "But as much as I like Percy, I won't go along with whatever it is you two have been scheming." The grins disappear. "I won't led him on just to make your lives easier. Whether anything happens between Percy and me is completely up to Percy. And me." I see the amused looks on their faces as my awkward speech gives me away. Damn, I'm shaking. 

"Okay Oliver," Fred says, getting to his feet. He and George back off, much to my surprise.

"We'll be going now," Say George, an odd sort of twinkle in his eye. "But Oliver, just in case you DO decide to make a move, we just thought that you should know…"

"You have a good chance." The two leave me alone in the common room, and I'm forced to ponder what they've just said.

_You have a good chance,_ I think to myself, letting the words roll around in my head for a while. I still wonder just how they caught on. Was I that obvious? I've always been just a little bit attracted to Percy. He's so authoritative, knows what to do and how to do it, but then sometimes he seems so fragile, so… alone, and I just want to go to him, tell him that no, he's NOT alone. He's never alone.

Okay, so I've always been **_very_** attracted to Percy. Whatever. And up until about two years ago, I thought that I had a chance… that maybe Percy was locked away in the closet and all I had to do was find the right key. Then along came Penelope Clearwater, Perfect Prefect from Ravenclaw. It figures that Percy would fall for someone like Penelope. After all, she is pretty and smart, not to mention almost as meticulous and picky as Percy himself. But somehow on Percy it's cute. On her it's just irritating. 

And Percy loved it. He actually seemed happy while he was with her. Not madly in love, but at least he didn't seem alone anymore. I convinced myself that he didn't need me anymore, and I did my best to move on.

Of course, all that just went to hell. And I'm happy. Isn't that sick? The boy I've been lusting over for the better part of seven years is crushed, and I'm happy. 

_You have a good chance…_

"Maybe…" I say aloud.

"Oliver?"

The voice behind me stops my thoughts, stops everything. "Hi, Percy…"


	3. Through Harry's Eyes

A/n: I know I said things would heat up by now, and I meant to make this the chapter from Percy's POV, but I decided I didn't want it to turn out like some of my other fics, all crammed into one day. Also, I'm painfully aware of how wrong Harry's character is here, but I just couldn't get him pegged. I'm sorry. You may flame me to hell because of it. This chapter doesn't really answer any of the questions left at the end of the last one, but I promise you I'll try to get to the good stuff in the next chapter. PLEASE keep reading and reviewing… you guys are all that matter right now! 

Thanks so much for the awesome reviews… I haven't gotten one flame yet (I guess everyone was scared off by my really harsh author's note at the beginning of this fic… I still can't believe I was that mean to you guys!) I want to extend my love, gratitude and** thanks to the following:**

Strix (Thank you thank you thank you… first review for this fic and it's a such a nice one too!)

Daria101 (They ARE all sexual objects, AREN'T they? ^.^)

Demeter (This review gave me the boost I needed… I'll try and get the Percy POV out SOON!)

TorturedSoul (Thank you muchly. Here's the next chapter, as you requested…)

bwaybaby79 (Heh heh… yes I know I'm evil… I did that on purpose. I had fun writing that Percy rant… glad somebody liked it!)

Aokusai (Thanks SO much! I was really worried about my characterization, and you really made my day!)

azrael (I almost flipped when I saw your name there! I was just reading you fic, 'The unexpected Wedding Guest', and I love it! I haven't finished reading all the chapters, but it's really good! Thought I should let you know, since I haven't reviewed. I will soon, but I have to finish reading first =) anyways, thanks… I'm pretty much bouncing off the walls now…)

And of course to Meg Albatou, slacker that she is. REVIEW, BIOTCH! (Yes, I'm aware…)

Thanks so much to all of you! Best reviewers in the world. Honestly, it's true. Love you guys!

BTW, the song quote is mine, just so that you don't think I'm not giving credit where it's due ;) and for that, thanks to Mereschino, cuz this song reminds me of you.

Enjoy! Feedback, positive or negative, is always welcome. 

"Watching you, watching me 

_All the things I do,_

_All the things you never see_

_And I hide what's true_

_'Cause I don't know who to be…"_

Chapter 3: Through Harry's Eyes

"Well Ron, maybe if you weren't so impudent all the time he wouldn't HAVE to give you so many detentions!" 

"Well we can't all be YOU, now can we?"

I listen intently as we walk to Ron and Hermione nattering on about totally pointless things, bickering like an old married couple. Sometimes I wonder if they're the only ones who can't see what's going on between them. 

"You're just upset because that stupid rat of yours…"

"Scabbers is not stupid," says Ron defensively. "He's just… old."

"AH, yes… how silly of me!" Hermione replies before giving him 'the look'. Ron turns to me helplessly.

"Remind me again why _I _ have to deal with this?"

I shake my head hastily. "You're on your own… I'm not a part of this argument!"

Ron groans in frustration. "Fine, see if I ever help YOU again!" I just laugh. Hermione rolls her eyes.

"You boys are so childish!" She declares, stopping in her tracks. "I have to go do some research now for my arithmancy class… You two had better do your Potions essays." She turns on her heal and starts off in the opposite direction of Ron and I. 

"We were just going to do that!" Ron yells at her back. Hermione waves her hand dismissively and doesn't turn around. Ron turns to me. "We WERE just going to do that, right?"

I furrow my brow. "Huh? Oh, right. Yeah." 

Ron nods. "Okay. Good." 

We walk into the common room in silence, ignoring the fat Lady's comments about us. Is it just me, or does that woman complain a lot? 

We've just stepped through the portrait hole and are about to enter the main area of the common room when Ron sticks out his arm and stops me in my tracks. "What?" I whisper.

"Shh! Listen," Ron replies in the same hushed tone. 

"… So I spoke with your brothers after you left…"

I turn to Ron. _That's Oliver, _I mouth, and he nods in agreement. We peer around the corner to see who Oliver's talking to, but all I can see is him sitting across from a large armchair. I look at Ron in confusion.

"I hope they didn't bother you too much," replies a voice we both know, "Those two can be so troublesome!" 

Ron and I turn to each other. "Percy," we whisper in unison. I furrow my brow as we turn back to the scene before us. This can't be right… Why would Oliver and Percy be talking to each other? I mean, they're complete polar opposites. Percy's all about school and grades and rules, and Oliver's… well, he's _fun._ And as much as I respect Percy, fun just isn't the word that comes to mind.

"…and anyway, I'm sorry I got upset at you, Oliver. I was just a little upset about Penny…"

Ron shoots me a confused look, and I shrug. Oliver is looking intently at Percy (who I still can't see).

"It's not a problem, Perce. I'd be upset too, if it was me. Are you feeling better?"

There's a long sigh. "Not really, not yet. But I will be soon, I'm sure. After all, I wasn't in love with her, as she was all too willing to point out."

Ron and I look at each other in amazement. Could it be true? Has Percy the Perfect been… DUMPED?

"Maybe it's for the best, Perce. I mean, I'm sure she had her reasons."

"I suppose." There's a long pause, and then Oliver gets up and moves over to where Percy is seated, his back to us. 

"Just remember that I'll be around if you need to talk," Oliver says, reaching over and putting a hand on something, probably Percy's shoulder. 

"Thanks, Oliver," Percy says, a note of surprise in his voice. "I really should be going now… McGonagall said she wanted to speak with me before supper…" 

Ron and I glance at each other in panic. 

_We'd better get out of here! _I mouth. We whisper the password and dash through the portrait hole, rounding the corner before Percy can catch us. When we're safely out of sight, Ron turns to me, wide-eyed.

"What was THAT all about?"

*****

Our game against Ravenclaw went REALLY well! I can't believe this new Firebolt… Oliver says I'm unstoppable on it. I can tell there's going to be a big celebration afterwards, and everyone's really excited now. Oliver's practically glowing. I can't help grinning myself as I pull on my school robe and towel off my hair. 

"Incredible victory today, boys," Oliver yells above the general chatter in our locker room. "Fred, George, you were excellent. And Harry," He starts towards me, shaking his head in wonder. "Perfect. You fly like that when we face Slytherin and the cup will be ours!"

"Angelina was making me nervous out there," George says to Fred, who nods in agreement.

"Did you see Katie? How are we supposed to stop them from getting KILLED if they keep flying in front of the bludgers?!"

Oliver laughs and shakes his head. "Honestly boys! You can stop pretending, we all know you like them." Well, actually, I didn't, but I suppose I do now…

"We don't like them," Fred protests.

"Yeah, THEY like US!" Oliver laughs out loud, and I chuckle quietly to myself. It actually makes sense, now that I think about it…

"Besides," Fred shoots back at Oliver, "You'd be nervous too if Percy was out there flying."

_WHAT!?! _

"Now Fred, that's not entirely fair," says George, sounding eerily like his mother. "After all, everyone's nervous when Percy gets on a broom!"

Neither Fred nor George seems to realize what they've just said about Oliver. Maybe they know and just don't care. I don't know why Oliver's just standing there, though… I would have though, with what the twins had just implied, that he'd be-

"Leave him alone," Oliver says quietly, turning to the mirror to straighten his hair. My jaw falls open. Does this mean… Is he… Is Oliver… I shake my head. No, that's impossible. I mean, it's _Oliver_, Right? There's no way he's…

"You all right, Harry?" Oliver asks, slightly amused. I snap out of it rather quickly. 

"Oh yeah, I'm fine… I just remembered that I, Um, have an essay due for Potions tomorrow," I say rather awkwardly. Oliver raises an eyebrow. 

"Okay. Don't study too hard now. It reduces your flying skills." Then he winks at me. 

Weird. That never bothered me before…

*****

I stop Fred and George outside the locker room. "Hey, can I talk to you guys for a minute?" The twins look at each other and nod, then turn back to me. 

"Sure," Says George.

"What's up?" Fred adds. I frown slightly. 

"It's about what you guys were talking about in the locker room…" I begin.

"What, Goerge's smelly feet?" George swats at his brother, and I laugh. I can't help it, it's a Weasley twin reflex. I shake my head.

"No, not that." I'm not sure where to go from here. "So, when you guys were talking about Katie and Angelina and…"

"Sorry Potter, But Alicia's too old for you. Plus, she's got it bad for Lee." Fred pats me on the shoulder.

"No, stupid!" says George, "Harry doesn't like Alicia! Didn't you see him eyeing Cho Chang out there?"

I feel a blush crawling into my cheeks and a wave of embarrassment almost convinces me to run away as Fred says, "Oh, you want GIRL advice!"

I shake my head hastily. "No no… nothing like that… I was just wondering about something you said back there." At the same time, I'm thinking of all the disasters that could come of asking the Twins' advice on women. "You two were talking about the girls you like, and then you said something about Percy to Oliver…"

The twins shoot each other a surprise look. "Observant little bugger, ain'tcha?" Fred crosses his arms. George is snickering slightly. 

"Well I s'pose now that you've got a hint, there's no point in keeping you in the dark."

Fred nods. "But you can't tell anyone. Not Ron, not Hermione, not ANYONE. It's a matter of life and death. Heads will roll if Oliver finds out…"

"Yeah, namely OUR heads," George adds, gesturing to Fred and himself. We move to the steps outside the great hall and sit down. We're late for lunch, but I don't think anyone really minds. 

"Is Oliver gay?" I blurt out, surprised that I can even think the words, never mind say them. As soon as they're out, I feel I must be making a mistake, but George raises an eyebrow and nods.

"Very good. You're going places, my boy."

"Quite sharp," Fred agrees airily. Again, despite the situation, I'm laughing. 

"He only just told us yesterday… or, rather, we figured it out and he confirmed it."

"Yeah," Fred says pensively. "Wonder why we never noticed it before now?"

I shake my head in wonder. Things are just starting to click. "Ron and I saw Oliver and Percy in the common room talking yesterday before dinner. They looked like they were having a pretty serious conversation. But…" another thought pops into mind. "You're not trying to tell me that… Percy and Oliver…"

"Not yet," replies George, catching my drift.

"But soon," Fred says, a sly grin creeping onto his face. _Oh no… not 'the grin'…_

"B-but…" I stammer, "Percy's… Percy's not gay… he's got a…" Then I remember Percy and Oliver's conversation last night. "Wait, he and Penelope broke up, didn't they?"

Fred and George both nod at the same time. "Yep!"

I groan. "You two aren't planning to do anything… you know, that could… go wrong, are you?" The twins look shocked and appalled. 

"Harry!" Exclaims George, "What do you take us for?"  
"Yeah," Fred says indignantly. "Our plans never go wrong!" 

Again, the laughter comes unbidden. 

"Besides," says George, "By the time they find out who's responsible…"

"They'll be too occupied with other things to care!"


	4. Through Percy's Eyes

A/n: I'm aware it's really short and it took me a really long time… for that I am truly sorry. I promise you that the next few chapters will be more interesting than this one. I'm really trying not to rush their relationship like I always, ALWAYS do. I want this to be good. You guys have all been so amazing with your reviews… I love you all! There WILL be another Percy POV later, as well as one from Oliver's, and the next chapter is another one from Penny's, since I had fun writing the first chapter. PLEASE keep reading… I'm sorry I'm so slow!

The following are added to the 'thank-you's' list:

Demeter: Again! I feel so loved!

Fiamma: I will definitely read some of your stuff ASAP!

Meg Albatou: YEA!!! You actually reviewed this one without me having to bug your for A YEAR! Luv ya, babe! 

Masterscribe: Patience, I'm getting around to other people's POVs! I DO have a plan, contrary to popular belief=) thanks for the ideas, tho, I do appreciate it!

Sawa: I love you, Sarah! You're my favorite! Seriously (heh heh…serious…). And I'm sorry I made him gay, doll. You can borrow him any time, if it makes you feel better!

Majinski: 'spiffy', eh? Whoo hoo! Thanks so much!

Orion: Well, then you shall have more! And I'll be getting further into Penelope's character in the next chapter…

Chris: Thank you so much for pointing out the age difference… I actually didn't even realize that! And as for the thing about Dawson's Creek dialogue, I'm flattered. Not my favorite show, but I know what you meant and it's kinda what I was going for, so thanks! And don't worry, there'll be plenty of Penny in the next chapter! I wouldn't just drop her like that =)

Silvershadow: Scary? Okay, I can definitely deal with that! Thanks!

Lilith: Hee hee, no… no love potions! But it should be pretty funny none the less…

Mel: Sorrysorrysorryhere'smore! 

Well, that's about it! Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Through Percy's Eyes

I've been without her now for weeks. Weeks. Can you believe it? I thought I'd have thrown myself into the lake by now, but no. I've gotten better since that day, I think. Maybe even better than I was before Penelope. Imagine that. 

I like to think of my life here at Hogwarts as separated into three parts: Before Penny, With Penny, after Penny. Not much difference between any of them, now that I think about it. I told Oliver about this, and do you know what he did? He LAUGHED at me. The blighter actually laughed. He says it's funny how I have to organize every little thing so that it makes perfect sense, like a scheduled time-table. I told him I'd go mad if I didn't have order. You see, growing up, order was the last thing we had in that house. Have you ever tried living at the Burrow? It's madness and chaos twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I used to cling to whatever little bit of order I could find, whether it was straightening my room up or organizing the cutlery drawer. I know it sounds mad, but organizing things make me feel… safe. And after so many years of trying to organize ANYTHING, it became a habit of mine to want to organize EVERYTHING. Oliver's an only child, so of course he doesn't understand.

But he has been a tremendous help over these past few weeks. I never really even considered Oliver Wood a friend before, just a casual acquaintance who had to share a room with me for seven years and said hi to me in the halls but who never really liked me all that much. Yet over the past few weeks, he's been there for me constantly, a pillar of strength to hold me up when all I wanted to do was fall to the ground. And I've been glad for his support. It's nice, for once, to feel like someone's on my side. 

Yet I can't help but wonder why he's doing it. Why is he trying to help me, why would someone like Oliver even stop to give the time of day to a person like myself? And furthermore, why do I feel like I can confide in him so fully? We never even talked all that much before about anything important, and now here I am, bearing my soul to him at one of the hardest times of my young life. It's slightly unnerving.

Listen to me! 'Bearing my soul', no less! I'm starting to sound like Penny. Not that that's a bad thing… I'm not the type to talk trash about people behind their backs, no matter how hurt and upset I am. It's just that while that kind of talk may be well and fine for a starry-eyed sixteen-year-old girl, I'm beyond it. I'm seventeen, for goodness sakes! I'm head boy! It's time I learned to control myself!

*****

"Percy, do you still care about her?"

I knit my brows and roll over to face Oliver. "What?"

"Penny. Do you still feel the same way for her?"

I sit up on my bed. Oliver, lying on his bed across the room, does the same. I shrug. "Well I think I'll always care about her," I begin carefully. "But as for feeling the same… I don't think that'll ever happen."

Oliver's expression is odd and unreadable, and I find myself wondering (not for the first time) what's going on in his head when he's looking at me like that. "So, do you feel any better about it yet?" 

"Started to, actually," I say, smiling slightly. "Thanks to you, that is."

Oliver waves his hand dismissively. "I didn't do anything…"

I shake my head. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course you did. You helped me when no one else wanted to. That's something, isn't it?"

Oliver shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. You needed a friend, that's all."

Friend. The word hits me suddenly. Oliver IS my friend, isn't he? It's a weird sort of feeling, knowing that someone is my self-declared friend. I've never been one to keep company with many people, and those who I've called 'friends' in the past have been few and far between. I suppose Penelope was my friend, in fact, I think she still is. I haven't cut myself off from her completely, and we've started to talk again more and more in the past few days. But aside from her and Ginny and perhaps Charlie, there's never really been anyone worth BOTHERING for. 

It's difficult for someone like me to have friends. Being friends with someone means you're obligated to be nice to them at all costs. I don't consider myself a mean person, but I AM very particular in my thoughts and beliefs. I have no trouble telling people when I think they're wrong, and I have even less trouble correcting them. That's what caused so many problems between Penny and I. We're complete polar opposites, and I couldn't let go of my stubbornness, not even for her. 

Which actually causes me to wonder how Oliver and I can remain friends. He's just as different from me as Penelope was, yet it hasn't caused problems yet. Perhaps it's because he presents his thoughts and ideas in such a way that I can almost see what he means, even when it conflicts entirely with my personal opinion. Or perhaps it's his openness, his willingness to listen to what I think, that makes me want to reciprocate. Either way, it's an entirely different relationship. 

"Hello, Perce?" Oliver is looking at me with a bemused little smile on his face. "You back on earth now?"

I laugh quietly. "Oh yes. Sorry."

"What were you thinking about that was so interesting that you had to faze out of this realm of consciousness entirely?"

"You," I say automatically, then mentally slap myself. _Why did you say that? He's going to think that's weird…_

"Me?" Oliver actually looks flattered. "What about me?"

"Well, you and I, actually." That didn't come out like it sounded. _Percy, you damned idiot! _Oliver just grins at me.

"'Zat so?"

"Yeah, you know, how we've gotten to become such good friends and all," I reply hastily, painfully aware that I'm blushing. Oliver's grin fades a bit, but he keeps smiling.

"Oh. Of course." He gets up rather quickly and crosses to the window, suddenly becoming very interested in the weather. "Cloudy. Looks like it might just rain on our game." He shakes his head. "The gods hate Gryffindor, Percy, I swear!" 

I'm rather irritated that he's thwarted my attempt to have a serious conversation, but then again, he's so passionate when he's talking about Quidditch that I can't bear to stop him. The light in his eyes whenever he thinks about the sport is almost addictive, and even when he's worrying about a game, like right now, it's still there.

"Don't worry, Oliver," I say reassuringly, "It's just a practice game anyway. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Last time it rained during a game my seeker fell off his broom and ended up in the hospital wing," he replies. "I can't afford to have that happen again."

"Harry will be fine," I tell him, praying that he won't blow this out of proportion. Normally, Oliver is quite a rational person. However, when it comes to Quidditch he can be more than a little insane. 

"We just HAVE to beat Slytherin!" He exclaims, flopping down beside me on the bed. "I HAVE to win that cup!"

"You will," I say firmly. Oliver groans in frustration. 

"We CAN! I know we can! But every time I start to think that maybe we've got it down, something bad happens and it all goes to hell!" He runs a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "I don't know what I'll do if we lose, Perce."

"You won't lose, Oliver," I repeat, starting to feel like a broken record.

"How can you be so sure?" 

"Because you're perfect!" I blurt out, immediately wishing that I hadn't. Oliver sits up straight and looks me in the eyes.

"I'm perfect?" He looks as if he's either going to laugh or cry. "Do you really believe that?"

I'm still mentally slapping myself. Whatever I say is going to sound mindlessly stupid, so I might as well admit it. "Of course I do," I answer dejectedly. Oliver looks puzzled.

"_Why_?" He asks finally. I sigh.

"Because… because you're everything I'm not. Everything I've always wanted to be but never could. You're funny, you're talented, you're popular, you're good-looking… the all-around good guy. And the good guy always wins. Besides you're so passionate about it. I've never been half as passionate about anything as you are about Quidditch."

He looks at me as if I'm some alien being. "Percy, I'm not all those things you just called me." He shakes his head. "I'm not even half as good as all that. And as for you not being any of those things… well, you may not think so, but you really are talented. And funny. And good looking." I can't help but laugh at this. "No, it's true, Perce. Look at me." We just stare at each other for a few seconds before Oliver looks away. "How can you not see it?"

I'm slightly taken aback by this whole conversation. What is he talking about? "See what?"

"How… how amazing you are." Oliver shifts uncomfortably. I feel like crying, but I know I can't.

"I'm not…" I whisper. "You don't really think that."

"YES, I DO!" Oliver explodes suddenly, grabbing me by the shoulders. "I'm so sick of you putting yourself down all the time! I wouldn't put up with it from anyone else… not Fred and George, not anyone, and I won't put up with it from you either!" He shakes me slightly. "Nobody talks like that about the people I care about, Percy, not even you. So get it through your head!"

I'm too shocked for a moment to say anything. "You really care?" I ask shakily as the shock wears off. Oliver's hands are still on my shoulders. He nods, almost as shaken up as I am.

"You idiot," he mutters, shaking his head. "I thought you'd have figured it out by now."

"I just find it hard to believe that someone like you would ever give a damn about someone like me." At this point, I don't even care about how sappy I'm sounding. I know we have to get all this out of our systems. 

"You're doing it again," Oliver says with a sad smile. 

"What?"

"Putting yourself down. Don't. I'm warning you." He gives my shoulder a squeeze, and I feel my chest tighten. _What's REALLY going on here?_

"I'll heed your warning, then," I say, attempting to make my tone light and dismissive (and failing miserably). Oliver gives me a guarded look and then drops his hands from my shoulders to his sides.

"You know what I think?"

"Unh uh. What?"

"I think you need to go see her." There's a long pause as I try to figure out his words. _What? See who. OH, see PENNY…_ I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Why?"

Oliver gives me that wistful smile again. His handsome face looks sad. "You need to figure out how you feel. You need to find some sort of… closure, I guess. It's the only way you'll be able to move on with your life. Just thought I'd suggest it."

I nod slowly. "I suppose you're right…" I get up from the bed, smoothing down my hair and clothes. "You know what? I'm going to go see her right now. We DO need to talk, and there's no better time then the present." Oliver smiles.

"Good luck then. See you soon."


	5. Through Penelope's Eyes

A/n: This chapter is another one from Penny's perspective. I thought I could make it better than this, but it had a mind of it's own, and I guess we weren't very good friends. At any rate, we had a disagreement and this is what happened. I'm sorry. I tried. 

Anywhoo, I have some more people to thank. 

To Meg Albatou: It's coming, it really is. Oh hey, I've got an idea… I'll make them kiss when I get some Sam/Frodo action in your fic! Heh heh… I'm soooo evil… no, but really, it's coming. Not in this chapter, but very, very soon. I'm surprised I've actually held out for this long… you know me=) Hey people, check out Meg Albatou's stuff… it's all awesome.

Thanks to Sawa-boo, whose reviews are now officially the most hilarious ones ever. Hey Sar, you're even funnier in your reviews than you are in person (and if you know sarah, that really says something!) ! Just one question: what were you on, and where can I get some? (okay, that was two questions…)

Majinski: yeah, he's a dumbass in this chapter too =) Just you wait, tho…

Strix: I am sorry about the long wait… and the cliffhanger… this one's sort of a cliffhanger too… I apologize!

Oh and thanks to azrael, for finishing your fic! Everyone should check out azraels fics… they're really awesome(I got addicted!) 

Also, thanks to yamwam for getting an account and writing a fic that is the epitome of awesomeness (check out yamwam's fic! I thought I was reading real Harry Potter! You rule, jules!), and to Martina for not telling me things. 

Music for this chapter is as follows: 'Stuck in a Moment' by U2, 'Wish I Were You' by Patty Smyth, 'I Love You' by Sarah McLachlan and 'Little Black Backpack' by stroke9. 

Have fun!

Chapter 5: Through Penelope's Eyes (Again)

_"Every time I'm close to you,_

_There's too much I can't say_

_And you just walk away…_

_And I forgot_

To tell you I love you…" 

_ -'I Love You', Sarah McLachlan_

It's been three weeks, five days and six hours since I broke up with Percy. 

Doesn't sound like that long, does it? But believe me, when you're counting every hour that goes by, it seems like centuries.

I miss him more than I've ever missed anything. I loved him. I know that sounds silly, since I was the one who broke it off, but I really did. Percy was… PERCY… that's all there is to it, and I couldn't help myself. I knew it was pointless to love someone like him. Right from the beginning, I could tell that we would be better off as friends. But I didn't care. It's the masochist in me, I guess… I knew it would be painful in the end so of course I jumped right in with both feet. Call me crazy. I'll agree.

Since that day three weeks, five days and six hours ago, he hasn't spoken to me once. THAT has been the thing that hurt me the most, because Percy was also my best friend. We could spend hours talking about anything and get nowhere and still it would be the most fun experience you could think of. I miss talking to him most of all. 

There's a knock at the door of my dorm room. "It's open," I call, half-shutting the book I'm reading. The door swings on its hinges and He walks into my room.

"I have to talk to you."

For a minute I just sit there, staring stupidly, and then I throw the book on my bed and rush over to him. He automatically embraces me, and I'm overwhelmed by memories as I press my cheek against his. 

"Percy… I thought you'd never come," I whisper, cursing myself silently for letting tears well up in my eyes. Percy squeezes me tighter.

"I'm sorry… I've been awful to you…"

I shake my head and regretfully step out of his arms. "No… it's not your fault. You were hurt. I understand that. But I'll admit I was worried I'd never talk to you again."

He pats my arm in a comforting way. "You didn't have to worry about that, Penny. I just needed a little time, that's all." I smile at him, ever so glad that he's here. Part of me DOES want to slap him, but the rest of me wants to jump on him and kiss him until neither one of us can breath anymore. However, common sense takes over, and I do neither. 

"So what exactly did you want to talk about?"

Percy frowns. "Well, I thought that by talking to you I'd finally figure out what it is I'm feeling. I just don't know right now." 

I nod. "Okay, that's fair." I guide him to the bed. "Lay down on my couch, Mr. Weasley," I say, putting on a fake German accent. I grab the chair from my desk and sit across from the bed.

"All right, Freud," Percy says laughingly. He leans back against the pillows and closes his eyes. "I'm floating in a sea of shadows …"

"Ha he, very funny," I say sarcastically, even though it is. Actually, I'm rather shocked. Percy, my Percy, just made a joke. And it was funny. "But seriously, Perce… what's going on with you?"

He shrugs. "I don't know… I guess I just wanted to find out where we stand with each other. And also…" He breaks off.

"Also…?"

"I was thinking… I mean, I was hoping that maybe, well… perhaps you could help me sort a few things out."

"What stuff?"

"Well, just some things I've been feeling and whatnot… you were always good at helping me sort out the one thing I couldn't keep organized." 

I arch an eyebrow at him. "What's that?"

He gives me a little half smile, eyes still closed. "My mind." I have to laugh here.

"Okay, that's fair. You talk, and I'll organize."

Percy shifts around a little and gets comfortable. "Okay. I understand why you can't be with me. And… I think you're right." He sighs deeply. "As much as it pains me to admit it, you really had a point. I'm not right for you."

I want to grab him by the shoulders and kiss him, tell him that no, he's wrong, that we're perfect for each other… but there's really no sense in denying what we both know and have admitted. "No, you're not. And I'm not right for you. Our heads are in different places."

"But that's not always it, Penny!" He sighs again. "Just because we don't always think along the same lines doesn't mean we can't get along well together! THAT'S what I don't understand! Why did WE always clash? Okay, take Oliver, for example."

"Oliver?" Now I'm confused.

"Yeah, Oliver. He and I are friends now, and we get along smashingly. But he's as different from me as you are, so what's the big problem with us?"

"Well, you aren't his boyfriend, for starters, and you don't want to be."

Percy's brow creases in thought as he processes this information. "No-o…"

"Unless you do want to be."

His eyes snap open and he stares at me. "Penny! What a thing to say!" 

I really did mean it as a joke, but then I catch a look in his eyes that I've never really seen there before. I try to figure it out, but it's gone too quickly. 

"I was just throwing around ideas, that's all." 

Percy frowns again. "Hm. Well."

*****

He can't stop talking about him. He tries to figure out what went wrong with our relationship, how he felt for me, what he feels now, and all that comes out is 'Oliver'. I was so stupid not to notice this before. A wistful smile crosses my face as it all becomes crystal clear to me.

"He might be good for you, you know."

Percy pauses, then gives me another shocked and outraged look. "I can't believe this is coming from you, of all people! How can you even suggest… I come to you for help with my feelings, and this is what I get?"

The smile is still on my face. My heart is aching, though, not so much for myself, but for him. Okay, a little bit for myself… "You wanted me to help you sort out what was going on in your head. I think I have."

"I think you're crazy."

"Think what you want." I pause, and then I reach out and touch his cheek. "I loved you, Percy… I still do, just not in the same way I thought I did. And you MAY love me, but as a friend, not anything else. There was always something missing, something that just didn't fit right. I think maybe you need to try going in a different direction. A _very_ different direction."

Percy is either considering this or is too stunned to speak. Probably the former. At any rate, he doesn't respond for a good three minutes at least. I give him time. Finally, he turns to me.

"Penny, I don't understand."

He looks so lost, and I can't help but grab his hand and hold it in both of mine. "That's why I'm here, to help you understand it all."

"But what you're saying is so…" He pauses, searching for the right word, "… unreal! I've never thought about it like that before!"

"Maybe it's time you started." I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'll help you sort it out. I just want you to be happy."

"You really do love me, don't you?" His eyes are so kind and understanding. _He knows,_ I think to myself, _He knows exactly how you feel. And he knows he'll never feel the same for you. _I realize, for the first time really, that there is absolutely no chance for me. I knew it before, I think, but there was always a little flicker of hope somewhere inside of me. Now I know for sure that we'll never be together again.

"Yes I do, Percy."

He closes his eyes briefly. "I'm so sorry. I hope you know that I still care about you… I always did… I just can't be what you need me to be."

I smile at him. "No, not for me. But Percy, you could be for somebody else. You just have to find the right person."

"What if I find them and _they_ can't be what _I_ need?"

He looks terrified, and I feel my heart break for him. "Oh Percy," I sigh, taking him in my arms. "Then… then you just keep looking."

*****

Since my talk with Percy yesterday I've been doing some serious self-exploration. I realized while we were talking that I needed to stop clinging to the thought that perhaps, someday, he'd come back and we'd be together again. It's so painfully obvious what's going on in his head, and I know it doesn't really involve me in the slightest. So I think I need to detach myself from him almost completely. 

Oh, we'll still be friends, of course, but I can't keep clinging to my foolish dreams, as much as I'd like to sometimes. And while focusing on Percy's problems may be helpful and kind, I need to concentrate on myself for a little while now. 

So, after thinking about it for a long time, I've come to the conclusion that while it's nice to be with someone, I don't need a man to survive. That was a big revelation for me, since my life for the past year practically revolved around one. But hey, what's so special about men anyway? They're just like really ignorant girls, plus or minus a few important details. Nope, they're not special at all.

Of course, I'm just thinking this when one of the best looking members of their species practically falls into my lap.

Oliver Wood. Now there's one man whom I could definitely… NO! Stay on your own territory, Penny…

"Um, what are you doing here?" I whisper (okay, hiss) at Oliver. He gives me what could be called a glare (and still manages to look drop dead gorgeous).

"Can't a guy sit at a table in the library if he wants to?" He whispers back. I roll my eyes.

"Didn't really peg you as the academic type," I say, trying my best to act dismissive. _He may be_ _good looking_, I think to myself, _but he's_ _got a lot to learn._

"You might be surprised," He says, raising his voice yet still speaking in a hushed tone. "Look, anyway, I need to talk to you."

"Why would you want to talk to me?" Actually, I have a pretty good idea why…

"I never said I wanted to, I said a HAD to." He leans in closer to me. "I need your help with something."

I have to fight from laughing loudly. "The great Oliver Wood needs MY help! I suppose I should be flattered!"

"I suppose you should."

I've had about enough of his cockiness. I lean in about a centimeter from his face, staring into his eyes, and tilt my head seductively. I let my lips part, and Oliver's eyes widen. "_I'm not_," I whisper sharply before backing away quickly, scooping up my books and leaving him alone at the table. 

And for the first time in a long while, I actually feel satisfied with myself, glad to be the person to finally give Oliver Wood his medicine.

*****

"Penelope? _Hey, Penelope_!" A whispering voice wakes me from my sleep, and I feel strong hands shaking my shoulders. I open my eyes. It's pitch black in my dorm room, and I can't see a thing until my eyes adjust, but the voice sounded male for sure.

I blink away the sleepiness and look up towards the now blurry figure before me. Percy? No, not Percy… the hands are much tougher, and this person is definitely taller. I fumble on my nightstand for my glasses and blink owlishly at the intruder as I put them on.

"What?!" I hiss as I realize who it is. "What the hell are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?" 

Oliver's face is shadowed, but I can tell he's grinning at this. "Yes. Do you?"

I glare, hoping he has good enough night vision to catch it. "I said what the hell are you doing here?"

"Nice glasses."

"Shut up. I'm not going to wear contacts to bed, am I?" Then I realize that he's changed the subject. "Do I have to ask you again what you're doing here? Because I might not be so polite this time!"

"My, you're pleasant when you've just woken up! I told you earlier that I needed to talk to you."

"Not at…" I pause to look at the clock, "…three in the morning!"

"Well under normal circumstances I wouldn't have woken you up, but you were being such a tease back there in the library that I decided you needed to be punished." Another cocky grin. Some people never learn.

"The day I let you 'punish' me is the day Snape wears a tutu to the Yule Ball."

"Oh get off your high horse! This isn't even really about you!" My roommate Christa rolls over and groans softly. "Can we finish this somewhere else?" Oliver whispers. I roll my eyes. 

"Might a well." I get out of bed quietly and we tiptoe to the door, careful not to wake any of our sleeping friends. The Ravenclaw common room is empty as we enter it.

"How did you get in here anyway?" I ask, rather defensively. Oliver gives me that grin again.

"Davies. Let's just say he owed me a favor."

"I thought you two were rivals!" 

"We are, but blackmail is a powerful thing." I scowl and sit down in an armchair. Oliver sits across from me. "Look Penelope, I'm not going to lie to you. The truth is, I've never really likes you much."

I laugh rather icily. "You woke me up at three in the morning to tell me you don't like me? Thank you… I'm honored."

"Hold on, you ninny… There's a _reason_ I've never like you."

I shoot him a sarcastic look. "Oh, _I _see!"

"Just shut up and let me explain, will you?" He looks over his shoulder, even though he knows no body's there. "It's… well, it's Percy."

There's a shocker. "Really."

"Yes, really." He breathes in deeply. "You see, you're the only girl he's ever really cared about, I think, and that's… well, it's a little threatening, quite frankly."

My jaw almost drops. Could he be saying what I think he's saying? No, no… impossible! And yet… how else can I interpret that? 

_Maybe he does like him._ I could almost squeal with joy on Percy's behalf at this revelation. But I don't. I can't let Oliver see me all rattled over this. I'm clinging to my cool veneer like an old security blanket. "Threatening. How so?"

Oliver gives me a meaningful look. "You may not be my favorite person in the world, Penny, but you're not stupid." 

"That doesn't help me."

He sighs. "You're infuriating, you know that?"

I can't help but crack a smile. "So I've been told."

It is possible? Do I detect a hint of amusement in his eyes? "Come one, Penelope. You know what I'm talking about."

I decide to jump in with both feet. "You like him, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Oliver seems to be holding his breath. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

"Congratulations. Why are you telling me?"

Oliver lets his breath out in a loud whoosh, and I suddenly realize how hard it must have been for him to admit that to me, of all people. I try to stop frowning and decide to be a little less harsh. 

"I suppose I thought you'd know more about Percy than anyone. I thought maybe you could help me…"

I chuckle quietly. "Why would I want to help you win him over, Oliver? Why should I hand the man I love to you on a silver platter?"

This silences him. For about a quarter of a second. "The man you… what?"

I cover my face with my hands, realizing what I've just said. "That wasn't supposed to come out. Can we just switch it to past tense and forget about it?"

Oliver grimaces. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you still… I never would have asked…"

"It's okay. You know now. And it's actually a good thing that you asked. Besides, it doesn't matter that I love Percy."

"Why?" Oliver asks, looking startled. 

"Because he loves you." I feel a stinging heat behind my eyes, and I force the tears back, desperate not to lose control. Oliver, for a change, is totally silent. "Well? Say something, you idiot!"

"I… what the HELL?"

I actually laugh (well it IS funny!). "That's a creative answer."

Oliver looks like a cross between the happiest man on earth, the most confused man on earth, and someone who's just been diagnosed with cancer. Overall, quite the amusing image. "How do you know?"

I smile a little sadly at him. "I'm his best friend. He tells me everything. But there are some things he doesn't have to tell me. I can hear it in the way he talks about you, I can see it in his eyes. He 

reminds me of me, head over heals in love." I pause. "Only in his case, it's with you." I can't help myself. I start to cry.

"Penny…" Oliver begins, but I raise my hand to silence him and he takes the hint. I bury my face in my hands and try to hide my tears. Oliver surprises me by slipping an arm around my shoulders. "I… I don't really know what to say… I'm really sorry…"

"No you're not," I reply, looking up at him. "Like you said, you don't even like me. Why should you feel bad?"

"I didn't really know you before."

"You don't really know me now." I laugh bitterly. "So don't be sorry."

Oliver looks confused. "I…" He takes another deep breath. "If you don't want me to, I won't do anything about it."

"_What_?" I shoot him my best 'you're crazy' look.

"You had him first, I guess… And if you want-"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" I cry, shaking my head. "I 'had him first'? What are you, five? He doesn't love me, Oliver, he loves you, and if you DON'T do something about it I might just have to knock your stupid, Quidditch-playing ass through the wall." 

He gives me an astonished look, and then begins to laugh. "You know, under different circumstances, I think you and I would get along quite well!"

"Hmm… too bad we'll never find out." I try to keep a straight face but Oliver catches the ghost of a grin that crosses my face and starts to laugh again. "That wasn't meant to be funny."

"Mm Hm, sure… I've got your game plan down now, Clearwater. You'd better watch your back now." This makes me laugh in spite of myself. Oliver looks intensely relieved. "You sure you're OK with this?" He asks gently. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." It is at this moment that I decide that I actually do like Oliver Wood. "So you'll tell him, then?"

Oliver turns an interesting shade of white and begins to chew on his lip. "Yeah… I'll tell him."

I smiled wistfully and nod, knowing that this is what's best for Percy. "Give him time. I know he wants this as much as you do." The words break my heart, but I say them anyway. I'm not doing this for me, I remind myself, I'm doing it for Percy. Oliver nods.

"Okay. And Penny?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." He gives me that Hollywood grin again. "You know, you're not as bad as I thought."

"Thank you. You're not as dumb as you look." He flips me off merrily, and I laugh. "Fuck you, too!"

"We should do this again sometime." I groan dramatically.

"Not at three a.m., please!"

Oliver pats me on the head, and I'm reminded of a slightly less patronizing Percy. And suddenly I know that they're right for each other. I can't explain how… I just _know._ Oliver will be good for him. He already has been. I realize now that the change I noticed in Percy since we broke up was not from his being separated from me, but from being around Oliver. Oliver, who obviously loves him, Oliver, who could be there to support him when I couldn't, Oliver who I know is terrified to tell him now, even though he's hiding it so very well. And I realize, as he stands up and begins to walk away, that I've done the best thing I could for Percy here this morning. 

"Oliver," I call to his retreating form. Oliver turns around and looks at me quizzically. "Good luck," I whisper, trying my best to put on a smile. Oliver grins back at me.

"Thank you."


	6. Through Oliver's Eyes

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long… Exams kinda took over my life for a while there. But I'm back now. For everyone who hates cliffhangers… you're going to murder me. I'm SO sorry… you have no idea. But sadly, I had no control over it. However, some of you are about to get a little tiny bit of what you've been begging for… it was the least I could do =) 

Thanks to the following:

The Perfect Drain: Thank you… I tried to make Penny as human as possible.. I think she's horribly misunderstood in most fanfic.

M: Thanks for the constructive criticism. I appreciate it. And I'm glad you love Percy.

Elysa Mental: Does this mean I've converted you? Yay!

Ped: Yeah, that clue bus you were talking about? It's pulling up to the curb. Thanks for the awesome review… you made my day, honestly.

Kitty: Thank you… I try! (the queen of fluff strikes again!)

Opheliac: I'm trying… PLEASE don't give up on me! I WILL finish it eventually…

Majinski: Thanks… I like her too =) Your reviews are always great… I look forward to them.

Chris: Silly. Oh, I'M sorry, I *forgot* this had to be perfectly somber! I suppose you're right… I should really start being more serious. And my GOD! Austria… yeah, cause they don't speak German *there*, now do they? Oh wait, they TOTALLY DO! Wow, I'm sorry, you just really caught me on a bad day. But honestly, if you don't want any more silliness, you might want to stop reading now, because I'm a rather silly person, and I guess it shows in my writing=)

Eternity: So don't wait… read now!

Sawa: Baby, you're my favorite. 'nuf said!

V-Amy: Ask and ye shall receive… the twins will have an important part later in this story, don't you fret!

And to anyone who may have read but didn't review… for shame! A plague on both your houses!

Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Through Oliver's Eyes 

Sometimes I wonder how I get myself so tangled up in these kinds of messes.

I know that technically 'mess' isn't a word that should be associated with Percy Weasley, but I can't help but think of this situation as messy. Sue me. 

Before I went and talked with Penny this morning, I was determined to convince both her and myself that this whole this was HER fault. Unfortunately, I was the only one who saw it that way. And damn that girl, if she didn't change my perspective too! She had to go and make me admit it, say it out loud. And now she knows. Fantastic.

The thing is, I didn't even really mind telling her. It actually felt really good. Different than telling the twins, since I know that Penny won't try and make a fool of me for it. There's something comforting about her that I don't quite understand. I'm supposed to hate her. But I can't. It just not that easy once you've gotten to know her a bit. I'd always built her up as some horrid she-demon who was determined to steal away the one good man at this school and keep him from me at all costs. But she's really not. And furthermore, she really cares about Percy. That makes me feel a bit better about her. Looks like we DO have something in common after all.

Anyway, I had to go and admit it to her, and now I'm supposed to tell Percy. Well okay then. Not like it's any different than asking anyone else out. I'm seventeen years old, after all, pretty much the sex symbol of the whole school, as Percy was so kind to point out. I should be an expert. 

Wrong.

I remember Percy telling me once that 'we can't all have women falling out of the sky and into our laps' or some rubbish like that. It's true; I do have people fawning over me all the time, so you'd think I'd be an expert in matters of the heart. But you'd be wrong. Most of the time I'm too busy trying to brush them off to try my hand at wooing any of them. Not that I really think I'd have to. It's kind of sad, actually. I could probably get away with simply smiling at them once every year or so and be set for life. 

But Percy's different. He needs attention, in fact he demands it. I consider myself a controlling person, a natural leader of sorts, but I've got nothing on Percy. A relationship with him would be different than any relationship I've ever had simply because he won't be pushed over or controlled by someone else if he doesn't want to be. And as much as the idea of not having to be the dominant figure all the time excites me, it also scares the shit out of me. It's uncharted territory, and I find myself standing on the outside of the boundaries, just staring at the field but not having the balls to walk onto it. 

But I DO have to tell him. Not just because of Penny. Not really because of Penny at all, in fact. No, it's because I'm afraid if I don't tell him, my chest is going to explode or something. I've never been o tense in my life. It's just a good thing I have the Quidditch tournament to blame my behavior on, or people would really start to think I'm insane.

I can't help but smile as Percy sighs loudly in his sleep. His eyes are closed, his face is peaceful, and there's a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of that delicious mouth. He reaches up and scratches his left temple, and I watch his finger move in that beautiful way they do, memorizing every little line in his hand. I want to know him perfectly, by heart. I know it sounds a little too sentimental, especially for a jock like I'm supposed to be, but it's the way I feel. 

I reluctantly turn by head away from the glory that is Percy Weasley for a moment and look out the window. There's a faint glow on the horizon, and suddenly I'm aware that I've been sitting here on the edge of his bed for at least an hour now. I get up slowly, not wanting to wake Percy from this oh-so-rare peaceful sleep, and tiptoe over to my own bed, leaving the hangings open. Percy's sleeping mind registers the change of weight on the mattress, and his arm flops limply into the spot where I was sitting. I let my eyes play along that freckled arm for a while, before closing my eyes and shaking my head. _Stop it… you can't ogle him while he's asleep… it's not fair. _If I could give my inner voice the finger, I would.

I grudgingly pull the hangings closed, thinking that maybe if I block off my view of Percy I'll be able to get an hour of sleep before Quidditch practice. Of course, I know as soon as I close my eyes I'll see his face plastered on my eyelids. If this is what it's like to be in love, I'm sorry I ever wanted to know.

*****

"Good practice!" I yell at the team as we head towards the locker rooms. Excellent practice is more like it. Harry grins at me, his cheeks flushed from flying. "I think we actually stand a chance of winning this thing," I say to him. He nods enthusiastically.

"The way you've been working us, Slytherin doesn't have a chance!" I can't help but chuckle at his innocent way of thinking. Harry's such a good kid. 

"Well, as long as they don't pull any dirty tricks, we should do fine." I slap him on the back playfully. "After all, we've got the best seeker in the school."

Harry blushes furiously. "Well, not really… I'm just lucky, I guess."

I shake my head. "Harry, talent is wasted on those who can't admit they have it." I follow him through the door to the locker room. "Learn to accept compliments gratefully. It's all right to admit that you have strengths as well as weaknesses. Everyone does."

He looks at me in an odd sort of way, almost warily. "Oka-ay…" He pulls off a kneepad. "I just didn't want to sound arrogant."

"Do I sound arrogant?"

"Yes!" respond identical voices from the doorway. Fred and George are grinning their evil let's-rag-on-Oliver grins. 

"Oh, sod off," I reply, throwing a dirty sock at them. Fred makes a face and George shouts as the sock lands on his head. 

"Oy! That's bloody revolting!"

Harry laughs merrily at us. He knows George deserves it. "I think we can take them," I whisper to him. "What do you think, Harry?"

He nodded. "Definitely." Fred rolls his eyes. 

"Puh-lease! I would quit now, while you're ahead!"

"Yeah!" Says George, throwing my sock back at me. "Besides, you can't touch us. What would Perfect Percy do if he thought you were abusing his poor innocent brothers?"

"Probably give me a medal," I reply, giving them the finger. 

"Oh, that reminds me, Percy says he wants to meet you outside the library. I forgot to tell you earlier." Fred looks like he's going to burst into laughter. I could strangle him.

"When?" I ask, a little too desperately.

George consults his watch. "Oh, about five minutes ago." He frowns. "Uh-oh… Percy HATES it when people are late."

I want to kill them both. They're not going to get off easy tonight… I'm going to make them run laps of the pitch until their feet bleed… I pull on my school robe over my jeans. They are so dead…

"You might want to shower…" Fred yells as I slam the door behind me.

**So dead.**

*****

Percy looks angry. 

He's standing rigidly against the wall, tapping his foot so heavily that the sound is echoing through the corridor, a dull boom.

I'm going to KILL Fred and George.

He looks up as I approach, and a billion different emotions pass through his eyes. Irritation, annoyance, happiness, relief… I see them all, plain as anything. It's times like this that I'm glad Percy's got such a readable face. It makes everything so much easier.

"Hi," I say a little breathlessly (not from running through the halls, but I'll let him think that…). "I'm sorry I'm so late… Fred and George forgot to tell me."

He smiles, and I feel as if all my sins have been absolved (even lateness). "That's okay… I was just wondering where you were." He rolls his eyes. "Sending word with those two was a mistake. But it seemed like a good idea at the time…"

I laugh. "Never a good idea, Perce. You of all people should know that."

He shrugs. He's in an amazingly good mood this morning, and I'm glad. "Hey, Ol… you have a spare first period today, right?"

I nod, regarding him curiously. "Of course I do… you know that."

"Right. I guess I do." He shifts his weight from foot to foot. "Well, I guess I was wondering if I could talk to you."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "For sure, Perce." 

He looks worried. "Good. Can we go now?"

"Yeah, if you want." I wonder what this is all about as he takes of down the hallway. I follow him, watching the back of his head, his neck, wishing I could…

"Thanks for doing this, Oliver," He says, jolting me out of my reverie. "I just really needed to talk to you."

"Actually, I need to talk to you too," I reply, wanting to slap myself upside the head. "So I guess it all works out."

We walk out the doors of the school, and Percy leads me to a small hut on the edge of the grounds that I never knew existed before this. He taps the doorknob with his wand and mutters "Alohomora", and I watch as the door to the tiny hut creaks open. Inside it's dark, but Percy fumbles around the walls for a bit and finds a switch that floods the one-room house in light. I look around. There's no furniture and no decorations, but there's a wooden trunk shoved into one corner of the tiny room. 

"I didn't even know this place existed," I say to Percy. He nods.

"I don't think anyone does. I found this place in my first year here. You can't see it from the school… those bushes over there block that side of it. I come here sometimes when I want to be alone." He's fiddling nervously with his fingers. "I haven't ever brought anyone here. Not even Penny." This makes my heart leap into my throat. Percy sits down on the floor, and after a few seconds, I do the same.

"Speaking of Penny," I say casually, "I spoke with her last night."

"You did?" Percy's look is one of utter shock and surprise. "I thought you two hated each other!"  
"Well, we did, but now…" I smile. "I think we're getting along much better." Percy's face falls.

"Oh. I see." He twists his shoelace around his index finger. "That's great."

Now I'm confused. "I thought you'd be happy… I thought you'd want us to get along." Percy smiles bitterly. 

"Oh, I do. And I think it's great… just great. I mean, You're my best friends… my only friends… I guess I should be thrilled." He laughs darkly. "Well there you go… I'm thrilled. I hope you'll be happy together."

And then it clicks. "No, Percy… that's not what I meant! Oh my God, I'm such an idiot…" he turns his head and I move in front of his eyes so that he can't avoid me. "You misunderstood me, I would never do that to you… I just meant that I think she's okay now. It's not… like that. Trust me… I could never be like that."

He looks at me dubiously. "So… you weren't implying…" I chuckle softly. 

"No. Hardly." 

Percy looks immensely relieved. "Oh god… I'm sorry. I tend to jump to conclusions sometimes. Of course you wouldn't do that. What was I thinking?"

I smile at him, glad that he gets it now. "Don't worry about it… I jump to conclusions too." 

He furrows his brow. "So, what did you two talk about, then?"

My heart is racing. _Tell him the truth… _"Well, actually, we talked about you."

"Me?" Percy looks amused now. "What did you say about me?" I wish I could look in his eyes and see what he's thinking right now, but I know that if our eyes meet, he'll see MY thoughts. 

"Well…" I begin, not sure what to say. "She told me that you'd been talking…"

"Mm Hm…" 

"And then I told her some stuff, and she told me that I should tell you that I…"

"Oliver!" Percy cuts me off. "You're making very little sense." I clench my fists. I came so close.

"I know… I just don't really know how to say this…" I can feel everything just spiraling down the toilet… this is not good. Percy looks quite amused but to his credit, he's making a gallant effort to hide it.

"Just say it. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

I try to take a deep breath, but it catches in my throat. I've never been this nervous. Percy's staring at me expectantly. "I… well, she gave me some advice. She told me that I should tell you something, but I…" I shake my head. This isn't working. You know what… "Fuck it," I whisper, as I lean forward and our lips meet.


	7. Through Hermione's Eyes

A/n: The next chapter. No juicy details yet, sorry… coming VERY soon! 

Chapter 8 should be from Percy's perspective, because that's the only way I can do what I'm planning to do.

Which brings me to a rather important question: should the have sex or not? I'm going to take a poll to see what you guys think, so be sure to review and tell me! I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, so tell me where to take this, please!

I owe my deepest thanks to the following:

'Meg Erskine Frere Albatou': I hope writing this chapter will keep me from getting murdered… I'm pretty sure you could be almost a vicious as me if you tried. Luv ya babe! (post more!)

'Mara': Aw, thank you! I'm sorry about the cliffhanger… but at least they kissed, right?

'bwaybaby79': two reviews? I feel so special! Thanks for all the wonderful comments… especially your feedback on the penny/oliver dynamic… I wasn't sure it'd work, but I thought, why not, it's sorta original,and it might be cool. So thanks for letting me know it's working =)

'Seamus Finnigan': Your reviews don't suck… you made me laugh=) Sorry 'bout the cliffhanger!

'majinski': I'm SORRY! I'm not evil… *really*! But I HAD to… you understand… don't you? 'nyway, glad to hear from you (as always). And BTW, I don't think he showered *eew!* But we still love him…

'Mereschino': I make it real? Oh, lis… you're so good to me *tear*… TeeHeeHaHA! I posted my Smallville fic… READ IT! BTW, congrats on the Shadowland solo, my little starlette!

'Solitary Flame': NOOO! DON'T HATE ME! I CAN CHANGE, I SWEAR!!! *calms down* Ookay… well, what can I say? You had me in stitches… really, I was almost rolling on the floor. I'm SO sorry about the cliffhanger, and I'm really not an awful person… but thank you for all the (confusing) compliments! And yes, I would like a cookie.

But by far, the biggest thanks goes to Sawa, who didn't leave a review and still managed to have the most entertaining feedback of all. Sarah, I think you must have been an exotic bird in a past life or something, because I swear, girl, the sound you made was NOT human! But I'm glad it got a reaction out of you, anyway!

More to come soon! Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Through Hermione's Eyes

Ron's complaining again.

It seems that all he ever does these days is complain about things. His brothers, our teachers, Malfoy… whine whine whine all day long. It's beginning to get rather irritating.

But then again, it's… _Ron._

I know it isn't right that I should feel this way. After all, Ron is one of my best friends. But I can't help it! It's not like I _chose _to fall for one of my closest friends, it just happened that way, I guess. But that doesn't make me feel any less terrible. 

And to make matters worse, I don't think Ron even knows that I'm alive half the time. I mean, he pays more attention to _Harry _than to me! It's infuriating and I hate it. 

Today, he's complaining about Percy. _Why does MY brother have to be head boy? Why can't he just go away? I HATE him!_ I want to slap that boy sometimes. 

But as much as I don't want to encourage Ron's whining, I have to admit that something is definitely wrong with Percy today. I know the head boy fairly well, and he's definitely not acting like himself (Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is debatable). He's sitting with us at the Gryffindor table, jumpy and red-faced, anything but calm and composed, and his eyes dart around like a scared rabbit's when you talk to him. And he seems to be avoiding Oliver Wood, which is strange because they seemed to be getting on really well in the past few weeks.

And so I've made up my mind to go talk to Percy. We've never really had a real conversation, but I've always wanted to. The fact is, I admire Percy. While he may be a little uptight, he's one of the smartest people I know, and I have a feeling he's going places. But before I can talk to Percy, I've got to get rid of Ron and Harry, never an easy task.

"Hermione, are you even listening?" Ron's voice jolts me back to reality.

"MmHm. Fascinating," I mutter, hoping I haven't just agreed to anything that will get me expelled. Ron seems to buy it, and keeps talking.

"Anyway, so I told him that we were going to win for sure. But it seems Justin's still not convinced. In my opinion, anyone who doesn't at least SAY that our team is going to win should be quartered and fed to the Slytherins."

I laugh to myself. Quidditch again. I should have known. Harry begins to talk to Ron about our team's strategy. I begin to brainstorm different ways of killing myself. Finally, I've had enough. I watch out of the corner of my eye as Percy gets up from the table.

"I have to go," I say, nonchalant. "I'll see you guys later." I'm just about to turn around and follow Percy when Ron speaks up.

"Where're you going?" _Oh damn. _I know I have to think of something, and fast.

"I'm meeting with Professor McGonnagal after lunch to discuss my timetable, and I have to get my things ready," I say, surprised at how smoothly the words come out. Ron and Harry seem to accept this, and I'm off the hook. "See you!"

I follow Percy through the doors to the great hall and down the corridor to the left. I leave at least twenty meters between us, not sure why I'm following at such a large distance. I'm just about to call out to him when an arm shoots out of a classroom and pulls him through the doorway. I'm too startled to cry out, so I dash towards the door, which has already been closed except for a tiny crack. I'm about to peer through the opening when a hand on my shoulder stops me.

"What're you doing?" I spin around to find myself looking into a pair of green eyes.

"Harry," I whisper, feeling my heart rate return to normal. "You scared me!"

"What're you doing?" Harry repeats his question, this time more forcefully. I bite my lower lip.

"I was just going for a walk…"

"After Percy Weasley?" Harry raises an eyebrow and looks at me pointedly. "Hermione, _really. _Percy?"

I roll my eyes. "It's not like _that_… I just wanted to talk to him, that's all." Harry looks skeptical yet relieved. 

"So what is it like, than? Are you just spying on him and whoever's in that room?" He pauses. "Wait, who IS in that room?"

I shrug. "I was just about to find out when you came along." I glance at the door. "Keep you're voice down… they'll hear us."

Harry nods, and then looks at me uncertainly. "Should we look?"

I mull this over. It would be a horrible invasion of privacy, but then again… "I don't see the harm in it." We nod at each other and I kneel down to put my eye to the opening. Harry stands above me and looks in as well. "It's Oliver Wood," I whisper in surprise. I hear Harry breath in sharply, and I look up at him questioningly. "What?"

"Nothing," He says, keeping his eye to the crack. I look back into the room.

"Shh… if we're quiet, maybe we can hear them." I strain my ears to hear what they're saying. Or rather, what Oliver's saying. Percy is sitting perfectly still on the edge of a desk, and his lips aren't moving. Finally, I'm able to make out Oliver's words.

"…I just… it just… _happened_." Oliver sighs heavily. "Say something, Percy. Please."

Percy furrows his brow. "I thought we were friends," He says quietly. Oliver nods quickly.

"We are! That is, we can be, if that's what you'd like." Percy shakes his head sadly.

"No, Oliver."

Oliver breathes in deeply. "No? What do you mean, no?" I'm very confused by this point. I look at Harry to see if he has an answer to this riddle, but he's riveted to the scene before us. I look back to Percy and Oliver. They both look tortured, pained. _What is this all about?_

"Oliver, do you honestly think that, after what happened this morning, we can ever go back to the way we were before?" 

Oliver doesn't say anything for a few moments, and then, "Please, Percy. Please don't do this to me."

Percy looks surprised. "Do what to you?"

"Please don't say what you were going to say." The look in Oliver's eyes is awful, and I can't force myself to look away even though I want to. "I couldn't bear losing your friendship. And if you tell me to leave you alone, I'll…" And then it hits me; he's going to cry. Oliver Wood is standing there with tears in his eyes, threatening to spill over. Evidently, it hits Percy too, because he gets up from the desk and walks toward Oliver. 

"Oliver, look at me."

Oliver shakes his head. "I can't."

A small smile passes briefly over Percy's face. "Yes you can. Look at me." Oliver raises his head and their eyes meet. Percy smiles. 

I think I understand now.

"What made you think I was going to say _that?_" And then Percy leans in and presses his lips to Oliver's.

"_My God,_" Whispers Harry. "So they were right…" I look at him, bewildered. 

"Who were right?" I ask.

"I'll tell you later," He whispers. I turn back to the door. Oliver and Percy pull apart and just look at each other.

"I don't want to go back to the way it was," Percy says breathlessly. A slow grin begins to creep onto Oliver's face.

"Neither do I."

I look up at Harry. "Maybe we should go now," I whisper. He nods, and we walk away. When we're far enough away not to be overheard by Oliver and Percy, I turn to him and place my hands on my hips. 

"So," I say, giving Harry a leveling stare. "What did you mean back there, when you said 'they were right'?"

Harry looks confused for a moment, and then he realizes what I'm talking about. "Oh. Fred and George."

I can't help but smile. "Fred and George? I hate to think what you could mean by that."

Harry laughs. "We had a conversation one day a little while ago about Oliver… and Percy. They seemed to know about Oliver's feelings for him."

"Oh god." I have to feel sorry for Oliver. "They must have made his life a living hell over it too." Harry nods soberly. 

"I don't think they've stopped teasing him since they found out." He pauses. "Oh yeah, and they were planning something… I think they were trying to think of ways to get them together."

"So do you think _that_-" I point back towards the classroom, "Was Fred and George's doing?"

Harry shakes his head. "Nah, I think this time Oliver beat them to it." We laugh. "Well you don't seem TOO upset," Harry remarks. I narrow my eyes.

"Upset? Why would I be upset?"

"Well, you WERE following Percy like a shadow, and I know that you admire him, no matter how hard you've tried to hide it…"

"What?" I shake my head. "No, Harry… I don't like Percy like that. Actually, I always thought he might be… and now it turns out he is, so…"

Harry is obviously relieved that we don't have to add Percy to our list of people-to-be-nice-to-because-Hermione-says-so. "So your affections for tall, freckled redheads are limited to Ron, then." We both laugh.

"MmHm." If only you knew, Harry… If only you knew.


	8. Through Percy's eyes...

A/N: A very fluffy, silly chapter. I'll warn you now that it's mostly a   
description of the Quidditch final from Percy's POV, so you basically know   
what happens. I didn't make up the events that happen in the game, I'm just   
recounting them. This chapter is, once again, ridiculous, but I had fun   
writing it, and that's what counts, right? RIGHT?  
Another thing; about two and a half weeks have been replaced by the frst set offive little   
stars (*****). Percy does say that in the chapter, but just in case any of   
you decide to skim over that bit, I thought I'd save you a lot of confusion.   
If I'd had to actually write those few weeks, I would have drowned you all   
in fluff. And btw, flashabck are in italics.  
Just a warning, now that the relationship has been established, it's gonna   
get kinda sappy. I'm sorry. I can't help it. If you hate that, then please   
don't read it, because I'd hate to waste your time.  
Mucho thanks go out to the following:

Bogman: Ask and ye shall receive (hey, do I know you?)

Leaky Faucet: Alrighta… I agree… slash action IS good action!

Dilly's Bondage Sister: okay, no bandage, I promise (like I would do that anyways~!)

Rainbow Heart-shaped Slinky Thrown by Angry Student: *steph starts to catch on…* Wait a teck… *teehee HAHA* "you color my life"… what the hell does that mean?

I Ruin School For Nice People: Okay *sings the don't do drugs song…* You're so funny, man. Hey… do I know you?

Mmmm, egg! Al bat Ooo: say it fast. Just say it fast. (thanks hun!)

Solitary Flame: Okay, I LOVE you! Teehee… you're hilarious! Reviewer of the year! And don't worry, I won't make it a PWP. I promise. (Mmm, cookies!)

Laura: Thanks for the heads up… I'm really not stupid, it just happens when I write really fast. I DO know my homonyms, I just don't concentrate, and like I said, I was sick and tired! But hey, that's what reviewers are for. As for Hermione's end thought, she's referring to her little crush on ron, which she doesn't think Harry knows about.

Sexy Oscar: Will do.

Killing-dance: Yeah, shame about the accent. And don't worry, I'll keep it r-rated… I can't write NC-17 without blushing for days. And you're absolutely right about the 'cock' thing… I HATE that word!

Immortaljedi: I know, Percy's great, isn't he? So fun to write… but I think I've made him go soft in this chapter… sorry!

Eternity: He he, grammar! Well, I try! Thanks so much for the comments! (Thanx 4 the commentz?)

Lo Potter: Lord, you're enthusiastic! But that's okay, I like being, as you put it, 'harassed', especially when it's such nice harassment! I'm glad I pass your cool test (you pass mine too, by the by!) And I'm also glad that someone else was as bored as I was by War and Peace. And yay buffalo! I love New York, state and city (I know that's a way overused phrase right now, but hey, what do you want from me? It's true!) Thanks for all of your comments and reviews, you made my day (I got them during a particularly painful history lesson, so you cheered me right up!). as for the Frodo/Sam thing, read 'In the Name of Love: The Choices of Master Samwise' By Meg Albatou. She's my Beta/friend, and she's a better writer than me, so you should enjoy it (It's excellent!). Merci beaucoup, darling… you're the best!

Majinski: Hope this doesn't lower your opinion of him=)

Mara: It may seem random, but believe me, I agonize over it for days! Glad to hear it's working!

Sawa: Love you, as always. The special store, eh?

Mereschino: Yes, onto Smallville indeed! *muah* kisses, starlette!

And of course, to Meg Erskine Frere Albatou, My beautiful Beta reader and big-time supporter. I might even forgive you for all the fake reviews… preserved…Jesus, em… (luv ya! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANKYOUTHANKYOU…)

On with the show!

  
  
Chapter 8: Through Percy's Eyes  
  


_"On the floating, shapeless oceans_

_I did all my best to smile_

_til your singing eyes and fingers_

_drew me laughing into your eyes._

_And you sang "Sail to me, sail to me;_

_Let me enfold you…_

_Here I am, Here I am, waiting to hold you…"_

_ -'Song to the Siren', This Mortal Coil___

  
"I don't want to go back to the way it was."  
"Neither do I." Oliver smiles at me and it feels like something's exploding   
in my chest. That horrible, pained look has left his face, replaced by joy…   
elation, even. And that grin. I feel warmth spread through me at the sight   
of it. Oliver could start a forest fire with his smile. He leans in   
closer to me and touches my cheek.  
"I don't think I can." He presses his lips to mine, a short, chaste kiss,   
not like the ones we shared before. He's reassuring me, letting me know that   
I'm what he wants. As if I didn't already know that.  
Talking to Penny didn't hurt.  
After he kissed me in the hut, with such passion and feeling, I didn't know   
what to do. First I froze. Then I ran. It was probably the last thing I should have   
done, but I was scared and confused. The next thing I did was pull Penny out   
of class.  
  
_"What did you say to him?"__  
__Penny looks shocked. "What are you talking about, Percy?"__  
__"Oliver, Penny! Did you tell him to… to…" I can't finish my sentence, but __  
__Penny seems to have put two and two together.__  
__"Oh my God…" She brings a hand up to her mouth and attempts (badly) to __  
__conceal a laugh. "He didn't!"__  
__I glare at her. "So you did have something to do with that." I sigh. "What __  
__the hell are you trying to pull, Penelope?"__  
__She's suddenly very serious. "Look, Percy, I don't know what Oliver did __  
__exactly, but whatever it was, I'm guessing you were too shocked to do __  
__anything but run." I look at the floor, knowing she's exactly right. "You __  
__have to fix that, Percy. Oliver cares about you, he cares about you a lot. __  
__You can't just ignore that." I'm so shocked by her words that all I can do __  
__for a few moments is stand there, silent.__  
__"What do I do now?" I whisper finally. "How do I fix it?"___

_"Talk to him. Tell him how you feel. And Percy?" I look at her, waiting. __  
__"Please tell him the truth. He needs to hear it." Startled, I embrace her __  
__tightly. __  
__"Thank you, Penny," I whisper in her ear. "You always know how to help me."__  
__She looks at me worriedly. "I can't fix your problems forever, you know." __  
__We both smile fondly at each other.__  
__"I know."__  
_  
And now here we are.  
Oliver's eyes haven't left me since that last kiss, and I know how he   
feels. I don't want to leave this room, this moment, ever again. It's so   
comfortable, so warm, so… right, that it would almost be frightening if it   
was anyone else. But it's Oliver, just Oliver, and suddenly I know what's been   
missing all along.  
"Can we stay like this?" I whisper, embracing him and laying my head on his   
shoulder. He chuckles deeply.  
"There are classes in here this afternoon, Perce."  
"That's not what I meant." I look into his eyes, and I know he understood   
all along. Bugger…  
"Oh, you mean like this…" He leans down and kisses me again, deeply this   
time, searchingly, and I let my walls come falling down. I want to be   
searched.   
We break apart. "Sort of," I mutter breathlessly.  
"Oh." Oliver smiles at me again, and I find myself getting dangerously   
addicted to that sight. "You know we can."  
*****a few weeks later…*****  
"Go on, Oliver… you'll be late!" Oliver paces back and forth in front of me   
as I sit on the edge of the tub in the Head's Bathroom. It's four in the   
morning, and Oliver has woken everyone in the dorm room up with his pre-game   
panic attack, so he's been thrown out. I decided to be merciful and follow   
him.  
"I have to win this, Perce." He looks at me desperately. "If we don't win,   
I'll… I'll DIE!"  
I roll my eyes. "You're overreacting. Please, just calm down."

Oliver   
stops at the end of the room and stands rigidly, his back to me.  
"You don't understand! This is the most important game of my life! I'll   
never have another chance at this!"  
I get up and walk over to him, putting my arms around his waist as he turns stifly to face me.   
"There will be other, more important games for you to play, Ol… but I DO understand that this is important to you NOW. But I'm telling you,   
Gryffindor WILL win." I kiss him quickly. "I know it." Our eyes meet and I   
smile. "Okay?"  
Oliver takes a deep breath. "Okay." Then he frowns. "What if Harry loses his   
glasses in the middle of the game?"  
"Harry hasn't managed to lose his glasses _yet_."  
"Yes, but what if he does today?" He breaks away from me and starts pacing   
again. "I can't handle this…"  
I try very hard not to laugh. I know it's probably the worst thing I could   
do. I've gotten to know Oliver even better than I did before in the past few   
weeks since our relationship was established, and I've learned that Quidditch   
is NOT, under _any_ circumstances, to be made fun of. Still, Oliver's treating   
this like a major business deal. It IS rather funny.  
"You'll do fine," I repeat for the millionth time this morning. "You always   
do."  
"Yes, but what if-"  
"Shut up, Oliver." He stops and looks at me, surprised. I glare back.  
"I'm sorry, I just-"  
"SHUT UP," I repeat, unable to stop a smile from creeping onto my lips,   
"Before I make you shut up. Do you REALLY want me to do that?"  
He looks at me desperately. "Yes. Please." I grin, and he smiles feebly as   
I cross the distance between us and attempt to occupy his lips, and his   
mind, with things other than Quidditch. He sighs into my mouth and leans   
against me.  
"I don't know if I can do this, Perce."  
I take his face in my hands. "Of course you can. For now all you can do is   
try and relax."  
"And how do you suggest I do that?"  
"Um… Think happy thoughts or something. I don't know."  
"Christ, Percy… I'm not Peter Pan!" "Peter who?"  
"Never mind." Oliver scratches his left temple, one of his little nervous   
habits. "I'm sorry… I know I'm being awful."  
"Well, You can't be perfect all the time." Oliver finally grins a genuine   
grin, and I feel relief flood through me like a tidal wave. "Of course not," He replies. "That's your job."  
*****  
"They're playing way too dirty," I yell over the crowd. "It's not right,   
and it's not fair!" She rolls her eyes.  
"YES!" Penny cries as Angelina Johnson scores. Then she turns to me. "Calm   
down, Percy… no-one's dead or bleeding yet." Just then, Marcus Flint crashes   
into Angelina. We both yell in protest, as does the entire Gryffindor crowd.   
One of the twins, George- no, Fred- hits the Slytherin captain with his   
club. Flint's nose starts to bleed as he hits it on his broom handle, and I   
shoot Penny a meaningful look.  
"You were saying?" She rolls her eyes.  
"That was YOUR brother, not the Slytherins, Percy. Oh COME ON!" she yells   
angrily as Madame Hooch announces penalties for both teams. Alicia scores, and then Flint flies forward to take his penalty. I feel my chest tighten as   
I watch Oliver and Flint glare at each other.  
"Concentrate… Come on," I whisper as Oliver shifts on his broom. Flint   
shoots, and Oliver stops it expertly. I let out my breath, which I hadn't   
even realized I'd been holding. Penny looks at me and shakes her head,   
laughing.  
"Breathe, honey," She says, rubbing my back in circles. "He's fine, he's   
done this before."  
I chuckle, more at myself than anything else. "I'm nervous for him, Penny…   
He's so intent on winning this thing."  
She nods. "I know. Don't worry."  
Oliver stops several more shots and we score a couple goals before Flint   
finally scores. Lee Jordan yells obscenities through the megaphone, but all   
I can do is watch Oliver. His face clouds over and he angrily kicks on of   
the goal posts. I rub my temples.  
"It's only one goal," I yell, "You're still doing fine!" But I know my   
voice is lost in the crowd. Penny cheers loudly as Katie Bell scores a goal.   
My brothers circle her, congratulating and protecting her at the same time.   
Good boys. There's an angry roar from our side of the crowd, and my eyes   
travel across the pitch just in time to see Oliver take a second Bludger in   
the stomach. I jump angrily to my feet as Oliver fights to stay on his   
broom. Penny screams at the Slytherin beaters and grabs my arm as Madame   
Hooch flies in and tells them off. I silently vow to kill the entire   
Slytherin team.  
"Calm down," Penny whispers in my ear.  
"That was deliberate," I say through clenched teeth. "They _meant_ to do   
that."  
"Of course they did. They're Slytherins." She shakes her head and we turn   
back to the game.  
After a few more goals and some outrageous tactics from that little rat,   
Malfoy, we're at Eighty-twenty for us when I see Harry chasing Malfoy. He's   
gaining quickly.  
"Come on, Potter!" Penelope screams. Despite her normally vicious Ravenclaw   
pride, she seems to be putting her heart and soul into cheering for   
Gryffindor. We jump up as Malfoy and Harry become level with each other, and   
then Harry's hand shoots out and…  
"YES!!! POTTER'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS THE CUP!!!" The entire   
crowd screams, and I run through the aisle and jump over the barrier before   
Penny can stop me and remind me that I'm not an athlete. This results in me   
falling on my rear, but I really don't care. I rush toward the crowd that is   
gathering around the Gryffindor team and try to push through the throng to   
where Oliver is standing, alternately laughing and sobbing into Harry's   
shoulder. My smile gets wider, if that's even possible, at the look of joy   
on his face. This is his dream. I slap my brothers on the back and then put   
my hand on Oliver's shoulder. He whips around and falls into my arms.  
"We did it!" He screams. "We actually did it!" He quickly kisses me on the   
side of my neck and then is pulled away, along with the rest of the team, to   
be hoisted above us. The team members travel across the crowd and I jump up   
and down cheering, aware that I must look like an idiot but not caring at all.  
*****   
After the feast came the party. And what a party it was. The Gryffindor   
common room was full of smiling faces; not a single person was unhappy. I   
stuck to Oliver's side, wanting to kiss him, to tell him how proud of him I   
was. The room didn't start to clear out until one a.m., and the majority of   
the team stuck around until two or so. Finally, everyone had left the common   
room except Oliver, my brothers and I.  
"Fred, George… maybe it's time you two got to bed." Fred raises an eyebrow   
at me.  
"Who do you think you are, MUM?" George put up a hand to stop Fred from   
going on.  
"C'mon… let's cut them a little slack, Fred. I mean, it's hard enough to   
find privacy around this school."  
Oliver glares at them. "You really should listen to your brother. It's   
getting late." He stresses the word late as if to give them a hint. Poor   
Oliver… he has no idea how hard the twins are to get rid of. You need some   
sort of leverage over them first…  
"Fine," I say, sighing. "I suppose you can stay here…" Fred and George look   
at each other, confused. Oliver looks at me like I'm mad and I grin   
wickedly. "…But I'll have to tell mum about the Easter Egg incident…"  
Fred's eyes go wide and George bites his lip. "You know what, I'm suddenly   
feeling tired…"  
"Yeah, me too… let's go, George…" The back through the door, leaving Oliver   
and I alone.  
"Amazing," Oliver says, amused. "I should try that once and a while."  
I grin at him. "Speaking of amazing, you were perfect out there today." He   
laughs a little.  
"Like you know anything about Quidditch!" I have to chuckle at this. He's   
right, after all.  
"Well I don't have to be an expert to know that you played well. And I was   
proud of you."  
"Perce…"  
"No, really. I was." Oliver looks into my eyes and shakes his head, smiling   
a little. Then he kisses me.  
I let my fingers get caught in his hair pulling him closer and closer,   
desperate for as much contact as possible. Oliver is the only one who can   
drive me absolutely insane like this. He breaks every one of my rules,   
shatters my composure. And I love it. He gently pushes me down onto my back,   
covering every inch of my body with his.  
"Percy…" He breathes in that gorgeous way that only he can. Oliver's voice   
is quite possibly the sexiest thing in the world. I've started to dream in   
Scottish accents.   
His hands are everywhere. "We shouldn't do this…" I begin. Oliver stops   
abruptly and looks at me, worried.  
"I'm sorry… I just thought…" I place my hand over his mouth.  
"Here. We shouldn't do this HERE." A smile creeps into his eyes.   
"Bathroom…" I say, pointing towards the door. He nods and pulls me up and we   
stumble out of the common room and up the stairs towards the Head's   
Bathroom.  
I remove the key to the bathroom from under my robes and open the door. The   
Head's bathroom is even more luxurious than the Prefect's bathroom, and only   
two people ever use it. Well, three now. I lock the door behind us and turn   
to face Oliver. "Where were we?"  
He closes the distance between us and puts his hands on my arms. "You're   
sure you want to do this?"  
I smile at him. "Oliver, do I ever do anything I'm not sure of?"  
He rewards me with a grin. "Of course not. Silly me." He kisses me quickly.   
"I forgot I was dealing with Perfect Percy." Coming from Oliver, my old   
nickname sounds endearing rather than taunting. I kiss him back.  
"We'll have to find some way to make you remember, then."

_To be continued…_

_Next up, Oliver's POV!_


	9. Through Oliver's Eyes

A/N: Thank the goddess! Finally, I'm done this chapter! 

A couple notes: This chapter doesn't have a particularly nice end, per se, but it serves a purpose. This is the second last chapter, Ladies and Gents, not counting the Epilogue, so it'll only be a little while now. Just hold on. I'm trying to.

Major thanks go to the following:

Blue_earth_goddess: Merci beaucoup, darling! Glad you found it so sweet! Also glad I could make you like something you don't usually. =)

Lulu-chan: Thanks for the input. And yeah, I know it was kinda detached, but I thought maybe people would get bored with JUST Percy and Oliver's POVs. Plus, I needed to save them for these chapters… But glad you liked in anyway!

Lo Potter: You're a doll, really. I just love your reviews, and I'm SO glad you like the chapter! Thanks SO much!

Mara: Thank ME? Thank YOU! I'm so happy that you love the story, and I hope this doesn't disappoint you =)

Fire Tears: *laughs uncontrollably* Oh dear… you're a scream, darling, really! I just love your reviews… They never fail to make my day. Oh, and thanks for informing me about your story… I read it and reviewed it, in case you haven't already seen that, and I just LOVED it. Anyways, a wise woman once said to me, "you color my world". Such is the same for you, dear. Your reviews keep me going. So thanks. And by the by, I didn't mean to torture you, honestly, that wasn't my intent! It was purely coincidental. However, if you were tortured by that, then I have a bad feeling about your reaction to this chapter… But don't fret, it will all work out. I won't tell you how, just that it will. =)

And, as always, thanks to Meg Albatou, Mereschino and Sawa, for being there from the beginning. Brand new, extra special thanks go to CC Montgomery, who (I think) has been injesting this story through an IV. I love you all!

On with the show!

Chapter 9: Through Oliver's Eyes

"_I watch you sleep,_

_I'm in too deep_

_You hold me down…_

_It's in your spell,_

_You know me so well…_

_Control me now…"_

_ -_S. Marshall, "Watch You Sleep"

Percy's sleeping now.

I love to watch him when he's asleep. It's hard to believe that Percy Weasley could ever look so peaceful, and yet here he is, the absolute embodiment of tranquility. And he's got that hint of a smile on his face that I've always found endearing. I could write a book about how Percy looks when he's asleep, I'm sure of it.

It's hard to believe that the Percy lying in my arms is the same Percy who, less than an hour ago, had to put a silencing charm on the bathroom door to keep us from waking the entire castle. This Percy looks so young, so… helpless, like all he needs is for me to protect him from… I don't know. I instinctively tighten my embrace on him at that thought, and Percy sighs softly in his sleep, burrowing his head into my chest. I breathe in his strange and intoxicating scent; a mix of sweat, sex, shampoo and something uniquely _Percy._ I think if I could just find a way to bottle that scent, I'd be a rich man. 

I refuse to think of tonight as the final step in our relationship. I hate it when people refer to sex as the end of the journey, as if to say, 'we've gone as far as we can go'. I won't think like that, because as wonderful as it was, I know that it's just going to keep getting better. It's not a final step. It's a first step.

I was neither of our first times. I've done many things before that I'm not necessarily proud of, and as for Percy, HELLO! Penny? Yeah, I know… awkward. But what counts is it was our first time together, and that's what made it so special. 

One thing I'll say for Percy is that he's just about the least predictable person I know. You might think you've got Percy Weasley pegged, but he'll NEVER stop surprising you. Percy can be many things, ranging from adorably neurotic to viciously domineering to incredibly naïve, but one thing I never expected was for him to be so passionate. A very pleasant discovery. He just keeps on surprising me with his seemingly unending range of qualities. Percy has so many gifts to give. I suppose that's just one of the reasons why I…

Damn. 

_I love him._

I look down at the head resting on my chest, unable to stop a smile from crossing my lips at the look of tranquility on his face. I knew the day would come when I'd finally admit it to myself. I just didn't think it would be so soon. Percy's warm breath fans across my bare chest, leaving my skin tingling. I kiss the top of his head, leaving my face buried in his hair. As much as I'd like to watch him sleep for the rest of time, I have to admit that I'm thoroughly exhausted. Besides, if I never go to sleep, then I'll never get to experience the one thing better than falling asleep in Percy's arms…

…Waking up in them.

*****

I wake up to light kisses on my forehead, and I don't even have to try to recall where I am. Head's bathroom, cold tile floor, warm Percy Weasley… I open my eyes, wanting more than anything to see the man I love first thing in the morning. 

He looks tired, not to mention disheveled, but he's so unbelievably _Percy_ like this that I feel like crying. I'm lying on my back, and he's leaning over me, a halo of red hair framing his perfect face. No glasses; obviously he doesn't sleep, or do certain other things, for that matter, with them on. I must be smiling uncontrollably, because Percy gives me a quizzical look.

"What?" He says, his voice a little rough from sleep. I laugh at myself.

"Good morning to you too," I reply sarcastically. Percy grins.

"Certainly is." He leans down to kiss me, still laughing. The laugh is infectious, and pretty soon we have to pull apart. "You have morning breath," Percy says, trying his hardest not to laugh. I shake my head.

"No, YOU have morning breath." I kiss him again, and this time it lasts much longer. Finally, Percy slides away from my lips so I can breathe (probably a good thing, because chances are I would gladly have suffocated). He kisses my neck lightly, tracing a line down my upper body with his lips. The morning sun, just newly risen, shines in through the stained glass window, scattering patterns of colored light across our bodies. I get a feeling of apprehension as I hear Percy chuckle quietly to himself. And then…

_Aah!_

"Hey, Perce, it's a little early in the morning for –OH! Okay…" I look down my body and our eyes meet. "You certainly are, um, enthusiastic, aren't you?" Percy can't answer me, but his eyes are laughing.

_Percy…_

"Percy…"

_I love you…_

*****

"Where did you learn that?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly. "I thought you said you'd never been with a guy." I know he was telling me the truth, but that's the way we are, teasing each other. We play games. Good games. Fun games.

"You taught me, silly." He plants a light kiss on my temple and I close my eyes, deliriously happy. A month ago, if you'd asked me if I'd be in this position right now, I would have laughed in your face. But now here we are, and it's all real, every last minute of it, and I never want to leave. 

I become aware that Percy's been talking throughout my absent-minded daydream. "… And can you imagine the look on everyone's faces if THAT happened?" He chuckles wickedly, and I realize that I've probably missed something good, but I really don't care at this point. I turn to Percy and frown dramatically.

"You talk to much," I tell him frankly, pressing my lips to his. He moans into my mouth and parts his lips obligingly. 

Needless to say, we both decide to miss breakfast.

*****Some days later…*****

"Shh! Not so loud… people will hear us!" Percy places a finger over my mouth, and I laugh.

"What's the matter, Perce? Hmm? All I said was that I want your Weasel. Don't you want my Wood?" Percy tries entirely too hard to stop himself from laughing, but to no avail. He bursts out laughing, and for a moment we have to stop walking so that he can lean against me and regain his balance. 

"Make no mistake, Oliver Wood," He says, his mouth twitching at the corners (he'll never be able to say either on of our names again), "I wasn't laughing at your joke, merely at your TERRIBLE ability to create a decent pun."

"Since when are puns decent at all?"

"Touché." Suddenly, we are both silenced by a familiar (and frightening) voice from down the hall. Percy shushes me and we listen carefully.

"_I knew it… I just knew it!"_

"It's Snape," I whisper to Percy, who nods and then holds up his hand to silence me.

_" Potter, Granger and Weasley and… BLACK… just as I'd thought…"_ Percy's eyes meet mine, and he shakes his head before turning away in frustration.

"Damn it, Ron!" He whispers angrily, but his voice reveals more than a touch of fear. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"_WHAT?_" Professor Snape's voice becomes strained. "I don't believe it!" There is a loud crash and the sound of rapid footsteps, and then the professor rushes out of his office and down the hall in the opposite direction from us. When he is out of earshot, Percy turns to me, wide-eyed.

"Shit," I say helplessly, not knowing what to do. Percy frowns.

"I have to follow him! I have to help!"

I shake my head firmly. "You CAN'T, Perce! Do you know how much trouble you could…"

"I HAVE to, Oliver! Did you hear what he said? My BROTHER is… wherever Snape's going to, and Sirius Black—"

"STOP, Percy!" I grab his shoulders firmly and hold him in place. Percy glares at me well aware of how much stronger than him I am, at least physically, anyway.

"Let me go," He hisses through clenched teeth. I shake my head.

"Percy, don't be mad. I'm NOT letting you go out there after a mass murder and Gods know what else! It's suicide!"

"It's my BROTHER!" Percy's angry façade cracks momentarily and I see all the fear, anguish and worry behind his disguise. His family means the world to him, no matter what he may pretend, and at the end of the day, I know he'd do anything to protect them. But the fact remains that HE means the world to ME, and I won't let him act like such an idiot.

"Percy…" I loosen my grip on his shoulders, going for a gentler approach. "Please just calm down. I know that you'd do anything to protect Ron, but sometimes you just have to trust other people to take care of things. You can't save the world, you know."

"I have to try, Oliver! You don't understand…"

"Yes, I do. What YOU don't understand is what it would do to ME if anything happened to you…" I look into his eyes. Honesty time. "Percy, I…" My breath catches in my throat. _C'mon, Oliver… just say it!_ "I love you."

Percy squeezes his eyes shut. "Oh God… not now, Oliver…" My heart feels like it's being crammed into a box that's three inches too small on all sides. _Not Now?_ What the hell kind of a response is that? I let my hands drop to my sides and take a step away from Percy. Suddenly I want to be anywhere but here.

"Ol…" Percy's voice is strained as he steps towards me. "Wait a minute…" I feel my body moving of it's own accord. It's a strange, detached feeling. 

"Forget it…" I mutter, taking another step away from him, down the hall. "Just… just forget about it." My legs start to move faster and faster, not even consciously connecting with my mind as I take off down the hall. My brain registers Percy's voice as he yells after me, but I don't stop. I can't stop.

By the time I reach the Quidditch pitch, my sanity has started to return, and I realize that I'm sitting alone on a wet bench in the dark with no protection and, potentially, a serial killer on the loose. Oh yes, that and my boyfriend, whom I love but who evidently harbors no such feelings for me, is running around trying to get himself killed by that very same serial killer, and as much as I'd like to say I don't care, the truth is I'm terrified. Angry, but terrified. Hurt and rejected, but, oh yes, still terrified. 

And that howl from over in the bushes doesn't really make me feel any better. 

I'd forgotten about the full moon tonight. Damn.

I just hope Percy decided to take the smarter path than I did (he almost always does anyway) and stay inside. If he gets hurt…

My thoughts are cut off again by that awful howling sound, much closer this time and much more frightening. I instinctively get to my feet, my eyes searching the edges of the pitch for whatever made that sound.

Oh shit… 

Out of the bushes directly to the left of where I'm sitting appears a creature that I've never seen before (in person, that is). But I know very well what it is. Half man, half wolf, all teeth and claws and bad fucking attitude. A Werewolf.

_I am a lucky son of a bitch today._

I run.

Of course, I'm not that great of a runner. Fact is, I'm not even a great flyer. Hence my Quidditch position. I have coordination, not speed. That, combined with the fact that I only have two legs and the wolf behind me has four, puts me in a hell of a bad position. But I keep running anyway, trying to ignore the heavy, snarling breaths from the animal pursuing me. Then it happens.

I fall.

My head comes into very hard contact with a tree trunk, and the ground underneath me starts to spin as I try to crawl out of the path of the werewolf. No such luck. He's advancing on me, going in for the kill. I close my eyes just in time to hear a strange but familiar voice yelling words I can't understand. I feel my arms, which are presently propping me up, give way, and before I can stop it, the world disappears…

A/N: Bad ending, I know, but I see no other way *dodges rotten vegetables* Okay! Sorry!

R+R? please?


	10. Feels Like Forever

A/N: Boy oh boy… I really hurried along with this one. I wanted to get this done so badly before the break ended, but I don't think the epilogue will be finished before tomorrow. End of next week, though. I swear!

A new format for this chapter: Three POVs. It was originally going to be Ron's but then there was a lot, and I mean a LOT of stuff missing, plus the whole impersonal thing. So whenever you see someone's name at the top of a big chunk of writing, it's they're POV. Get it? Got it? Good.

This, as you may already know, is the last official chapter. There will be an epilogue, which will be longer than most epilogues but shorter than most chapters. This is my first fic that was centered on a slash relationship, and so I'm immensely proud of it. I'm really glad you all like it as much as you did.

Big thanks go out to the following:

Fire Tears: As always, my dear, an inspirational and hilarious review! Your alter-ego certainly is feisty =) I'm sorry for scaring you… don't worry, no big warnings for this chapter. And I hope you like this chapter, because I tried to get it out as quickly as I could ;) Who knows, maybe there will be a sequel, maybe not. It all depends on feedback, time and energy. And my level of boredom ;) And yes, I know you wouldn't have let the sword hit me!

Lo Potter: Thank you thank you thank you etc… yeah, I was in a weird mood, and the pun just came to me. Happens a lot when I'm really sick. And don't you worry about Oliver… you'll see!

Sawa: That pun was created specifically so that you could respond to it. Yeah, you heard me. And don't worry, I'm not leaving you like this. I'll make it better, I promise. Just read. 

Bwaybaby79: Glad you liked it so much! I DID NOT want to make this into a smutty NC-17 fic, because I just coouldn't do that with these characters, but I wanted their relationship to reach that level. It was hard to be tasteful and still show some of the passion as well, so I'm really, really glad to know that you think it worked well! Thanks!

Eigwayne: thanks for all the feedback! I'm stoked that not one person has dissed my Penelope so far! Most people would consider her OOC, but she doesn't even have a personality in the books, so I decided to play with it a bit. And I had to put that pun in when I thought of it… If MY name was Wood, I'd be saying things like that all the time! Sorry 'bout the cliffhanger… hopefully this is better!

And as always, to my angels. Meg, Mereschino and CC, I love you guys more than life. Hope you like it!

Chapter 10: Feels Like Forever

"_In his eyes I can see_

_Where my heart longs to be_

_In his eyes I see a gentle glow_

_And that's where I'll be safe _

_I know…_

_Will his eyes reveal to me_

_Promises or lies?_

_But he can't conceal from me _

_The love in his eyes…"_

_ -'In His Eyes', Jekyll and Hyde_

*

Ron 

_*_

I wake up to the sound of angry voices in the hall, and it takes me a moment to recall where I am. Only a moment, and then I look around and realize that I'm in the hospital wing. 

Ri-ight… now I remember…

Harry and Hermione are sitting up in their beds across the room from me, looking at each other guiltily. I feel a stab of anger, wondering what's going on between my two best friends that they aren't telling me. Sometimes I think people see me as blind, deaf and dumb. Well I'm not.

"What happened? Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin?" I ask, trying to sound demanding but only managing a slow, sleepy tone. Harry and Hermione look first at each other and then at me. Harry shakes his head.

"Don't worry, Ron," says Hermione, obviously trying to pacify me. 

"We'll fill you in later," Harry says. I scowl inwardly, but nod and lay back against the pillows again. I suppose that'll have to do for now. 

The voices in the hall start yelling again, and this time I can make out the separate voices.

"You don't understand! I MUST get in there IMMEDIATELY!"

"Mr. Weasley, I'm afraid I cannot let you in."

"This is ridiculous! I'm the HEAD BOY, for Gods' Sake! Doesn't that count for anything?"  
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Weasley."

I look at Harry and Hermione and roll my eyes. "What's he on about NOW?"

A new and familiar voice is heard outside our door. "What's going on here, Poppy?"

"Mr. Weasley is _demanding _that I let him into the hospital wing, Sir. I told him that—"

"Ah. Very well then, why doesn't Mr. Weasley just go for a short visit…"

"Albus, I really must insist—"

"Now Poppy, it's his brother… I think we can make allowances."

The door swings open and my brother storms in angrily, looking like he's on a mission from God or something. He spots me, and in seconds, the look disappears. I just lay there, stunned, as he rushes to my side and grabs my hand.

"Ron! Thank God…" I'm pretty sure my mouth's hanging open in shock. Percy hugs me tightly, and I peer over his should at Harry and Hermione, who both have looks of undisguised alarm on their faces.

"Um… Percy…" I say, squirming uncomfortably. My brother lets me go (he's probably realized by now how ridiculous we must look), and stand up straight, brushing his robes off.

"Yes, er, well," He mutters, straightening his glasses. "You had me worried sick! What were you THINKING? If you think Mum's not going to hear about this…"

I smile slightly. That's more like it. "Thanks, Perce," I say quietly, so only he can hear me. He nods his head.

"Hm. All right."

*

Percy 

_*_

Madame Pomfrey is glaring at me like I've just set fire to her sick room. I turn to her, intending to apologize, but she cuts me off before I can even begin.

"Mr. Weasley, I CANNOT allow you to be here any longer!" She takes a step towards me, and for the little woman that she is, she' actually rather intimidating. "You're upsetting my patients so much that I can't even trust you to stay here unsupervised! And _I _can't stay here to keep watch over you, I have to tend to Mr. Wood!"

Her words are all lost, all except for the very last words.The night's events come flooding back and hit me like a ton of bricks. 

Oh my god. _Oliver._

"Where is he?" I ask Madame Pomfrey desperately. My voice is a little to high, a little to frightened, but I don't care.

"Where is WHO, Mr. Weasley?" Now she looks annoyed AND worried.

"Oliver! You said you had to tend to him…" I can't even finish my thought, I won't let myself finish that thought. 

"He's in the next room, Mr. Weasley," She gestures to a door behind her, "But If you think that I'm going to let you…"

I ignore the rest of her speech, bolting madly for the door. I have to see Oliver. If anything happened to him after we talked… _oh gods…_

A million questions flood through my brain as I open the door. What happened? Is he all right? Will I lose him? Is this all my fault? WHY did he have to tell me right then?

_Why did I have to say that?_

I rush through the door, my eyes searching the room for Oliver. He's there, laying in a sterile bed, silent beneath the stark white sheets. I want to scream, but I have a feeling that even if I did, no sound would come out. His face… oh god…

I feel my knees give way beneath my as I reach the side of his bed. I kneels there beside him, not wanting to look but unable to look away. It's horrible.

Oliver's beautiful, perfect face is marked in several places by long, deep scratches, red and inflamed. His arms are marked by the same angry wounds, as well as some colorful bruises. I can't see the rest of him, but I know it's just as bad. Tears spring to my eyes unbidden, and I don't even make an effort to stop them.

I don't need to ask what did this to him. I passed sixth year, I already know. 

A werewolf. 

A few of my tears drop on Oliver's arm, and I press my lips to the mangled skin. How could I let this happen? This is all my fault…

I lift my head up and look at his face, a little battered and scraped but still the most beautiful thing in the world to me. The words just come of their own accord.

"I'm so sorry, Oliver… I wasn't careful enough… If I had been, this never would have happened to you. But I didn't know what to say, I wasn't thinking straight- - I wasn't thinking at all! I thought I didn't know how I felt… but I know now. I know now." My voice breaks. "I love you. Did you hear that? I love you. And I was wrong. Love IS uncontrollable. And it's not practical, and it's not predictable. Penny was right… I couldn't love her the way she needed me to. But I can love you. I _have to_ love you." I let my head fall against the mattress and for a minute I just stay there, crying silently. Madame Pomfrey's footsteps behind me prompt me to look up and dry my tears. The look on the little woman's face is no longer angry, but sad and understanding, and I think I even see the hints of tears in her eyes. I vaguely wonder how long she's been standing there.

"He'll be fine, dear," She says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "He just needs rest and medical attention."

I stand up shakily, not wanting to ask the question, but needing to know. "Did it… was he…" Madame Pomfrey's eyes suddenly go wide with realization.

"Oh, _No_ dear! He got quite scratched, but no bites anywhere we can see. He got there just in time, I'd say."

My knees nearly give way again at this enormous relief. Oliver wasn't bitten… that means he'll be fine. "Um, WHO got there just in time?"

"Oh, why Hagrid, of course. Out for an evening stroll, and he heard the struggle, bless his soul."

I sigh, relieved. _Hagrid. Thank GOD. _"Er, Madame Pomfrey?"

"Yes dear?"

"How, exactly, did a werewolf get onto the grounds? Aren't there protection spells all over the property?"

The little witch looks at me, surprised. "Um… I'm not quite sure," she says hastily. "Now, I'd better get to work here… you should be going…"

I bite my lip. I don't want to leave. I _can't _leave Oliver alone now, not again. "Please… can't I stay here?"

She frowns and looks me in the eye for a short while before sighing and shrugging her shoulders. "I suppose so, but you'll have to sit quietly.. I need my concentration."

I nod and smile slightly, sitting down in an armchair on the opposite side of the bed. Quietly is good enough for me.

*

Oliver

*

My head hurts, this bed is too hard and why in God's name is everything red?

It takes me a while to realize that my head is throbbing because I was viciously mauled, the hard bed is undoubtedly one of those delightful hospital wing ones (after numerous Quidditch-related visits, one gets to know how the beds feel by heart), and the world is red because my eyes are closed and the sun's shining.

So I open them. 

Yep. Sun, hospital wing… I try to lift up my arm to verify my 'vicious mauling' theory, but find that my hand is firmly attached to another hand, a pale, freckled hand. Belonging to a pale, freckled boy. I turn my head to see said boy, needing to know that he's really there, not just some image I've conjured up.

"Oliver?" He whispers my name tentatively, as if he's not sure it's me. I smile weakly.

"Hey."

Percy closes his eyes and breaths a sigh of relief, smiling. "Hey." He opens his eyes again and looks into mine. "How are you feeling?"

"Coherent." 

He rolls his eyes. "Clever." Then he looks at me seriously. "You know you had everyone worried sick."

"Thanks mom."

"Really, Oliver." His eyes never leave mine, and as I look into them, I see so many emotions it overwhelms me. I know he cares about me. In a way I've always known. I'm such an idiot sometimes.

"Percy… I was stupid…"

"NO." His force surprises me. "Don't say that. I'm the one who was stupid… too stupid to tell you what was inside of me before. Even before you said it, I felt it, I knew it. But I didn't know what it was." Our hands are still together, and now he tightens his grip. "I love you, Oliver. I never want you to doubt that again."

An incredible warmth spreads through my body. Again, my chest feels tight, but this time I think maybe I'll live. I see tears in Percy's eyes, and wonder why.

"Don't cry, Perce," I whisper, unable to make my voice sound level. "It's okay."

He laughs quietly. "I know, I know. I think that's why I'm crying."

With great effort, I pull myself up into a sitting position. "Percy… c'mere."

He gets up from his chair and sits on the bed beside me, leaning back and sharing my pillows. "It feels like forever since we've been together," he remarks, running cool fingers over my face. I chuckle.

"For you, maybe. I've been asleep."

Our eyes meet and my smile disappears. The mood has changed again. "I meant it, you know." Percy is always so worried about people believing him.

"I know," I say, and I kiss him. A simple, sweet kiss (we ARE in a hospital wing, after all). But it's enough for now. 

The rest can wait.


	11. Epilogue

A/N: This is the end. It's been a long time since I started this, but I'm done now, and fairly satisfied with how it turned out. 

I'd just like to note that referring to people I don't know in my head by physical characteristics or objects they're carrying has always been a subconscious habit of mine. That's what Penny does in this chapter… it's not actually a talking headboard and footboard, just in case anyone had any doubts.

Special thanks for this epilogue go to Mereschino for reviewing so promptly (!!!)

Also to Meg Albatou, my occasional Beta, Sawa, CC, and all my friends

Star reviewers for this fic are Lo Potter and Fire Tears, both of whom I love dearly. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you want a sequel, please tell me. If you don't, again, tell me (I probably won't listen if I really want to write it, though).

Have fun! Enjoy!

Epilogue: Through Penelope's Eyes

*Two years Later*

When this all began, I knew I'd have to make sacrifices. 

Everyone has to make some sort of sacrifice sometime in their life. For me, the first real sacrifice I had to make was letting Percy go. It was hard, because I loved him so much more than I realized than, and even more, I think, than I realize now. But I had to let go, if only because I wanted him to know that very same love someday, and I knew he never would as long as he was with me. 

It was hard at first, watching Percy struggle with our break-up, knowing that I could go up to him and take it all back and, for the moment at least, make everything better. But that wouldn't really fix things in the long run, they'd just be smoother for now. I knew that, and that was why I couldn't take him back. 

Then I watched him struggle with himself, a long, hard internal battle against an opponent he'd been with all his life and had never really known at all. I had a feeling that I knew the outcome right from the start, but at first I wouldn't admit it, not even to myself. As time went by, however, as he learned to trust me again, I started to theorize out loud, to Percy. Of course, he rejected my theories, seeing as they were so 'radical', so 'insane'. They were also so true, but he wouldn't get around to that stage of acceptance for a while, and my job was to be there for him while he was in denial.

At the same time that I was trying to help Percy out of his little rut, I was in one myself. Wallowing in self-pity and creating a martyr out of myself, I sat there and inwardly bemoaned my fate as Percy confided his deepest thoughts and fears to me. I had to see how happy Percy had ultimately become before I could realize that what I had done was for the greater good after all.

And he is happy. Blissfully so. Not all the time, mind you, and certainly not last year, what with all that mess at the Ministry and that horrible tournament… the summer following that was perhaps the worst of both Oliver and Percy's lives… but that's a full year in the past now, and we're moving on.

If Oliver and Percy were close before the attack in our last year, they became infinitely more so afterwards. I always knew that Percy loved Oliver Wood, from the very moment I figured out what was going on behind their friendship. I thought it was ridiculous that Percy wouldn't tell Oliver, but then he never told me either, before the attack. Maybe he hadn't figured it out yet. Anyway, Oliver was nuts about Percy, and Percy about him, but when Oliver was attacked by the werewolf, their relationship changed. It was like they suddenly realized how much they meant to one another, and how that affected their lives in general. I still don't know exactly what happened, but I believe that was when they really found each other.

As for me, I realized that Percy will always love me, no matter what happens. I may not have his heart in the way Oliver does, but a small part of that heart is still mine, nonetheless. We're not just friends; we were once something more, so we can never be 'just friends'. But I've come to realize over time that the bond we share is so much better than anything else I could have asked for. 

I've gained things as well. Things that I never in a million years would have thought possible, like my friendship with Oliver. Once you get past the complicated parts, we're really quite similar. And of course, now that years have gone by and I no longer harbor any homicidal tendencies towards him, we get along famously. We still tease each other a great deal, and more often than not we bicker like an old married couple, but we both know that it's all in good spirit.

So all in all, I'm glad that I gave Percy up. It may have stung at the time, but when I look at all the good that's come of it, I'm glad I did what I did. And I know someday, I'll find love again. For now, I'm happy just to know that my best friend has found love. It was a choice I had to make, one of those unavoidable sacrifices. Everyone has to make them from time to time. My sacrifice was Percy.

"Penny? Awake?" Percy's hand on my shoulder.

"Hm? Yeah, sorry."

He laughs at me and shakes his head. "Oliver's wall's practically dry already, and you're not even done stirring the paint!" 

"I don't see you painting," I say, smirking. Percy walks over to the table where he's been working.

"I'm going through all these legal forms… Who would have thought muggle landlords would be so stiff about rental policies?"

I shrug. "Speaking of which, are we really supposed to be _paintin_g these walls?" 

"Hm. Don't think so. Ah well."

Oliver leans in to inspect my paint can, which is, like Percy proclaimed, unstirred. 

"What's the matter, Pen? Couldn't figure out how to work the stir stick?"

I throw my paint rag in his face. "Ha ha." 

The door to the apartment opens. "Heigh-ho!" Calls Fred, who is holding one end of a King-sized mattress. 

"We brought the hard laborers," George says cheerfully from the other end of the mattress as two older man (Weasleys, both) come through the door behind the, carrying a headboard and a footboard. Bill and Charlie, I assume.

"Excellent, excellent!" says Percy, getting up to greet his brothers. 

"Dammit, Perce… Where do I put this bloody thing down?" The Headboard asks. The Footboard, who is shorter and more muscular, chuckles deeply. 

"Need me to take that for you, Bill?"

"No, _thank you, _I can handle it, _Charles._" Oliver and I look at each other, and he grins.

"And I thought WE were bad!"

Once Percy and his brothers have dumped the pieces of the bed in it's appropriate room, they return to the living room, where Oliver and I are still bickering over the paint. 

"What can we do?" Asks the stalkier one, Charlie, as he stands in the doorway. Percy shrugs and gestures around the room. 

"Everything. Take your pick."

"Help Penny stir the paint," Oliver quips. I slap him on the shoulder. 

"EH! Watch it, will you, that shoulder has a contract with the Cannons!"

Charlie laughs and makes his way over to us. "Charlie Weasley," He says, holding out his hand. His arm is scarred in several places, and some of the hair is singed off. He sees the look on my face and laughs. "I, um, work with dragons." I shake his hand and smile. _He's kinda cute. _

"I see. Penelope Clearwater. I work with people." He gives me a quizzical look. "I'm studying to be a magical psychiatrist." 

"God help us all."

"Shut up Oliver."

*****

"It's weird, you moving out of the Burrow. You've always lived there. I'm going to have trouble remembering the address."

Percy laughs a little and shakes his head. "You'll manage." We've found the up side of this apartment building; the rooftop. The view of Old London is perfect from this height.

"I can't believe you're moving in together," I say, shaking my head. Percy sighs.

"I know… amazing, isn't it?" He looks me in the eyes. "I'm so happy, Penny. I never knew I could be this happy."

"I'm happy too, Perce."

He puts an arm around me. "I'm glad you could be here with us today. It means a lot to us, you know."

"Yes, I know."

"Pen?"

"Hm?"

Percy sighs happily. "Thank you."

"For what, painting?"

"No, no, just… Well, for everything. Ever."

Oh… for THAT… I bite my lip, not sure if I can get my voice to work around the lump that's forming in my throat. He knows. I shake my head and silently laugh at myself for being so stupid as to assume that, after all these years, Percy, one of the most brilliant people I know, hadn't figured everything out. Of course he knows what I gave up, of course he's figured out how I felt. I smile wistfully. 

"You're welcome."

Fin.


End file.
